West Midlands chosen as first 'testbed' for 5G technology

Cities in the West Midlands have been selected as the first place in the UK to become the 'testbed' for 5G wireless technology.

It is expected that this move will attract businesses to the area and subsequently boost the local economy, a result of being inspired by the faster internet speeds and reliable connectivity.

Hubs in West Midlands like Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton have been chosen ahead of cities like Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds and Sheffield throughout the rest of the UK, which were also contenders for becoming new 5G testbeds.

The county will receive £75 million in investment as part of the Urban Connected Communities Project in order to facilitate the transition into 5G hubs, which will then act as a trial before rolling out the technology to the rest of the country.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street commented: “This announcement is game-changing for the West Midlands economy. This will be the backbone of our future economy and society.

“The potential of this technology is endless – and we will enjoy the benefits first. [From the] way companies do business, the way we deliver public services, the experience of travellers on public transport and the way we deliver City of Culture and the Commonwealth Games – everything can be made better thanks to the power of technology.”

It is anticipated that this testbed rollout will enable the creation of jobs within the region and harness a number of new services that will boost the health, life sciences, construction and automotive industries, particularly with regards to self-driving vehicles.

Upon projects being selected through open competition, the rollout is expected to go live at the beginning of 2019.

Margot James, the Minister for Digital said: “5G has the potential to dramatically transform the way we go about our daily lives, and we want the citizens of the UK to be amongst the first to experience all the opportunities and benefits this new technology will bring.

"The West Midlands Testbed, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will be instrumental in helping us realise this ambition."