West of England secures £5m for 5G ‘Smart Tourism’ trial
The West of England Combined Authority has secured £5 million from the government to trial a “superfast” 5G network at tourist destinations in the South West.
The trial will see 5G infrastructure put in place at the Roman Baths in Bath in addition to three other locations in Bristol.
Tim Bowles, West of England mayor, explained: “Imagine a virtual Roman soldier showing you around the Roman Baths. Now imagine this moving 360 degrees on your mobile phone at a resolution you have never experienced before – that’s what 5G technology can offer.
“The 5G Smart Tourism bid will allow us to trial some exciting technology at our top tourist attractions, whilst looking at wider and longer-term benefits for our region. This new technology holds the key to a more advanced, sustainable and smart future which will revolutionise the way we all live, travel and work.”
Margot James, minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries said: “The next generation of connectivity will transform business and society, and the government is committed to ensuring the UK is fit for a 5G future.
“Smart tourism is just one of the projects we’re funding to drive this forward, and I look forward to its exploration of the innovative ways 5G can boost the West of England’s fantastic tourism experiences.”
According to West of England, 5G is set to be the “largest step forward” for mobile network technology yet, offering much faster speeds than 4G.
In addition to improving human communication, it will also support communications between things humans have invented, forming the ‘Internet of Things’.
This will have a “huge impact” on people’s lives, supporting everything from driverless cars to smarter homes. The trial will look at this wider impact and how the West of England can become a smart region, using new technology to link up its transport and homes, hospitals and schools.
The 5G Smart Tourism project, funded by the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), brings together a partnership, led by the West of England Combined Authority. It is a high profile consortium that includes 5G network and service providers.
The project will build upon the 5G network already developed by the University of Bristol, through earlier DCMS funding, to establish experimentation capabilities for digital innovation.
The University of Bristol’s expertise in telecommunications and research on 5G technologies and networks has been “pivotal” in defining and delivering the Smart Tourism Bid. The University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab is driving the 5G agenda both locally and nationally and is one of three UK sites, which will deliver the world’s first end-to-end 5G system trials in March 2018, thanks to £16m investment from DCMS.
Cllr Tim Warren, leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, added: “We’re proud to be part of this innovation; which supports our commitment to providing 21st Century technology across Bath. We hope it will enhance the experience for people visiting such heritage gems as the Roman Baths.”
Pictured above: Tim Bowles (right) with Cllr Tim Warren (left), at the Roman Baths
