Nottinghamshire 5G Connected Forest

World's first 5G connected forest launched by a local council.

09:41 15 October 2021

The world's first 5G connected forest was officially launched by Nottinghamshire County Council on 13 October at Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre. 

 

The £10million project aims to explore how 5G technology could be used to boost tourism and protect sectors at Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre and Rufford Country Park. The local council partnered with Gooii Ltd for an interactive holographic film that visitors could watch using mixed reality headsets. It will also involve the use of dog robots and drones for data collection. 

 

Keith Girling, chairman of the council’s economic development committee, said: "It's all about bringing technology into Nottinghamshire.

 

"Yes it's about Sherwood Forest, but it's also about raising technology awareness so that businesses will benefit.

 

"We bring in about £1.9bn a year through the visitor economy and this will help boost that, so we're really excited about it."

 

Mr Girling added: "It's also about the environmental impact it will have."

 

"We can have drones going out into the forest to look for diseases, which means that they can cover a vast amount of area a lot quicker than normal.

 

"As things progress and the technology expands, it will go out to businesses.

 

"For me, that's the exciting part about this. It's about the reality of what it will bring to businesses and the communities in Nottinghamshire.

 

"We are really blessed with the project and how it has come together, and it really shows the working of the county council and its business partners. It shows that Nottinghamshire is open for business."