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2nd Aug 2017

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3 top uni’s get extra funding to test 5G

Bristol University, King’s College London and The University of Surrey will share £16m in government funding to keep the UK at the forefront of 5G technology development. The new 5G test network will be the first part of a four-year 5G testbed and trial programme with the aim of delivering an end-to-end 5G trial in Q1 of 2018.

A small scale mobile network is to be created by each university that’ll combine to form a single 5G Hub test network. These individual networks will contain a number of the elements that are expected to be present in commercial 5G networks when they arrive in 2020, such as receivers and transmitters plus the technology to handle 5G signals.

This ‘5G Hub’, as The University of Surrey calls it, will become the foundation for a series of related projects such as connected cars and autonomous driving. It’s expected to be ready for expansion to include other organisations from 2018.

The government’s intention in funding this test network is to make sure the UK hits the ground running with 5G, which could be worth £173 billion to the economy.

Minister for Digital, Matt Hancock said: “We want to be at the head of the field in 5G. This funding will support the pioneering research needed to ensure we can harness the potential of this technology to spark innovation, create new jobs and boost the economy. We know 5G has the potential to bring more reliable, ultra-fast mobile connectivity, with quicker reaction times and larger data capabilities, and I’m thrilled to announce King’s College London and the universities of Surrey and Bristol have agreed to collaborate on this project.”