Sunderland 5G Partnership

Sunderland seeks strategic partner for its 20-year 5G project.

12:50 25 November 2020

Sunderland City Council has recently published an £80million 20-year tender as part of its plan to establish a 5G Neutral Host service across Sunderland. The move follows the city's partnership with law firm Bevan Brittan to advise it on the work. 

 

The scheme will allow telecoms operators to buy capacity so they can offer their own services. This will help the council achieve its goal to deliver high-speed service to 99per cent of residential and commercial sites. It will first cover the city centre and Riverside Sunderland, a development area that includes housing, offices and the council's new city hall. 

 

The procurement notice added that the council may offer the selected partner the opportunity to take over and expand a network used by Nissan at its vehicle manufacturing site in Sunderland. As part of the contract, the partner will have to recruit mobile network operators and internet service providers.

 

The selected partner, according to the procurement notice, is expected to provide and continuously improve the free public Wi-Fi in the city centre as well as maintain connections to council road sensors. There is also the possibility for the joint venture to continue beyond its initial term after Sunderland is fully covered.