Connectivity

Recent advances in mobile phone connectivity have provided faster mobile download speeds and have enabled a larger number of people to use their mobiles on the network at any one time without a drop-in service.

However, it’s not just mobile phones that are connected to the internet now. You may have devices at home including your Smart TV enabling you to stream films and TV shows, home assistants such as Alexa or energy systems such as Hive that require connectivity that use your WIFI.

Current WIFI networks are not always appropriate due to their reliability in the public realm. 4G networks will not have the capacity to support the growing volume of devices connecting to the internet. 5G promises to support the new wave of ‘things’ ‘machines’ and ‘devices’ that will connect to the internet in the future.

Future opportunities

In a world where digital connectivity is essential, the benefits of 5G networks cannot be underestimated:

• Residents can receive improved social care empowering them to lead longer and healthier lives at home leading to greater independence.
• Traffic lights and cameras can be connected, enabling us to manage our transport network by spotting incidents earlier, re-directing traffic and reducing congestion.
• In order to address the climate change emergency, we need to understand and respond to what is happening in our environment. 5G will enable real time information to be collected from sensors and devices across our region, and analysed and acted upon.
• Paramedics can conduct an ultrasound on a patient in an ambulance with real-time remote guidance from a clinician in a hospital, enabling speedier diagnoses and better prepared A&E teams.

Read more about how Smart Place is working to solve these and other key challenges within to deliver the best possible outcomes for the local people and businesses which make up our community.