5G Innovation
The arrival of 5G is transforming the world as we know it.
As a region of innovators and entrepreneurs, the West Midlands is pioneering cutting-edge developments in this game-changing technology.
Home to the UK’s first multi-city 5G testbed, the West Midlands has been responsible for many UK firsts, from performing the country’s first ultrasound over 5G to launching the nation’s original 5G Road Sensor Network.
Our status as the UK’s best region for 5G coverage – combined with our position as the UK’s fastest-growing tech sector outside of London – is attracting investment from international tech heavyweights. They’re looking to benefit from our world-class R&D infrastructure to develop, test and commercialise next-generation, 5G-enabled products set to transform the way we live.
Science and tech superpower 2030 in 5G
Renowned as a UK leader in emerging technologies, the West Midlands is poised to take a central role in helping the UK Government achieve its strategic vision of becoming a Science and Technology Superpower by 2030. 5G is one of five critical technologies identified to achieve this goal. It is an integral part of the UK Wireless Strategy, which has the headline ambition for the UK to deliver nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030. The West Midlands already leads the way, with two-thirds of locations across the region having 5G access via at least one network operator.
The region’s unique “Quad Helix Approach” – an interlinked ecosystem combining academic R&D institutions, public sector organisations, private sector firms and a deep pool of tech talent – will also play an essential role in achieving this ambition. Furthermore, the arrival of the £80m UK National Telecoms Laboratory and the innovative R&D led by WM5G will ensure the region remains at the vanguard of next-generation 5G developments.
5G will be the cornerstone of our digital economy. With higher capacity and lower latency, standalone 5G will drive growth in the industries of today and tomorrow.
Why 5G technology is so important to the West Midlands
Offering low latency, high capacity and increased reliability, 5G is driving unparalleled developments in transformative technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles and Digital Twins.
Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton secured £50m in government funding to lead 5G innovation in 2018. Since then, the West Midlands Combined Authority has emphasised accelerating the deployment of 5G infrastructure across the region, providing the ideal ecosystem for innovative international tech firms to invest in the West Midlands and utilise these technologies to scale exciting new products.
Given the present and future importance of 5G technology here in the UK, it’s great to see our region at the top of the connectivity table.
By continuing to grow our region’s 5G infrastructure, the West Midlands will remain at the forefront of digital innovation – harnessing the power of this technology, attracting investment and driving innovation all for the benefit of residents right across the region.
How the West Midlands Combined Authority is encouraging 5G innovation
A founder of WM5G (alongside the Department of Culture, Media and Sport), the West Midlands Combined Authority has identified 5G as a key, strategic component of its WMCA Digital Roadmap.
As one of five missions to be achieved by 2026, the WMCA has set the target to make West Midlands the UK’s Best-Connected Region. While this has been achieved, the authority retains a focus on maintaining this position and attracting international investment for further connectivity innovation, focusing on areas including 5G, 6G and WiFi6. This encompasses developing new business models, running real-world trials and encouraging start-up/scale-up innovation to use the region’s world-class R&D infrastructure.
The second mission revolving around 5G focuses on realising the potential of digital to transform the West Midlands economy by encouraging local firms to adopt advanced digital technologies. These include 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and IoT. Again, a core component of the success of this mission is to encourage SME and corporate engagement in collaborating on cutting-edge research with the region’s leading universities and research facilities.
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Innovation in the West Midlands
5G Innovation
Why the West Midlands?
