Mobile phone connectivity will be boosted through new tech housed in streetlights, bus shelters and traffic lights as part of a UK Government scheme.

Eight winning projects will receive a share from a £4 million Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) to explore how software can help simplify local authority processes when telecoms firms request access to publicly owned buildings and curb side infrastructure.

Road signs and CCTV poles can be used to improve 4G coverage, but they are also integral to the roll out of 5G, which requires a larger number of small ‘cell sites’.

Within these sites, antennas and other telecoms equipment are placed to form a network and ensure seamless coverage and to meet surging demand for connectivity.

However, it is currently difficult and time consuming for telecoms firms to establish the suitability for the host equipment – such as its location, physical dimensions, proximity to the street or access to a power source. This, in turn, is slowing down the pace of deployment.

Investment in piloting the latest digital asset management platforms will be carried out to enable local councils to more easily share data mobile companies need to accelerate their roll out plans and deliver 4G and 5G to people and businesses.

The project means communities in 44 local authority areas can expect to benefit from faster and more reliable mobile phone connectivity sooner. Project winners based in Scotland include Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth, and Kinross.

Commenting on the news, Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “Everyone gets frustrated when their mobile signal is poor, particularly when patchy coverage holds up important work and social calls and makes it harder to do stuff online. That is why we are determined to get the UK the connectivity it needs by rolling out better mobile coverage as quickly as possible.

“Currently, mobile companies are finding it difficult to get the data they need to check that a lamppost, bus shelter or public building is suitable for hosting their kit.

“These eight pilots will help solve this by modernising the way local authorities and operators work together in a way that ultimately delivers faster, more reliable mobile coverage for millions of people. It is all part of our joined-up strategy to deliver world-class connectivity to every corner of our country.”

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Currently, 5G offers download speeds of up to 100 times that of 4G, massively boosting the pace and data processing power of mobile phones.

The technology can also broaden the role that mobiles play in wider society by enabling thousands more ‘smart’ devices which connect to the internet and each other.

New virtual and augmented reality services can be made available through 5G to help drive the rollout of tech such as autonomous cars and remote healthcare technologies, as well as transforming how public services are delivered.

Gareth Elliott, Director of Policy, and Communications of Mobile UK said: “Reducing the time it takes to deploy mobile infrastructure is important to enable mobile operators to roll out 4G and 5G across the country and to meet ambitious government targets.

“The DCIA trial and its project winners will provide positive examples of how local authorities can use technology to speed up processes and develop effective relationships with mobile operators to improve coverage for all.”

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