Worcestershire leads the way in 5G testing

In 2018, Worcestershire became the home of a new 5G Testbed, putting the county at the forefront of technological innovation.

5G, or fifth generation, is the next generation of mobile technology. When it becomes available in the UK in the next three years, 5G is expected to have a profound impact on the economy and the way people live their lives.

While there was concern that the government was going to halt the involvement of Huawei in the provision of equipment to build the 5G network, Boris Johnson’s decision in January to allow the Chinese firm a restricted role in the UK’s 5G networks should see the roll-out continue without significant hiatus.

Staffordshire County Council

Worcestershire County Council

Shropshire Council

Warwickshire County Council

Birmingham City Council

Coventry City Council

Wolverhampton City Council

Dudley

Sandwell

Solihull

Birmingham City University

Nottingham Trent University

University of Wolverhampton

University of Derby

Coventry University

University of Lincoln

University of Birmingham

University of Nottingham

Aston University

Harper Adams University

The Worcestershire 5G Consortium is undertaking the country’s most comprehensive industrial 5G Testbed trial with a team of 5G specialists and business experts pioneering the concept of “Industry 4.0” (which refers to the fourth industrial revolution, the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes).

The focus was on live trials in the Worcester Bosch and Yamazaki Mazak factories investigating increased productivity in manufacturing; detection and prevention; remote maintenance; new models for manufacturing as a service; security by design and training the next generation of 5G engineers.