UK 5G Policy

Margot James reaffirms the government’s commitment to become a world-leader leader in 5G, pledging to break down its final barriers.

11:07 29 March 2018

Speaking at O2’s The Value of 5G for Cities and Communities’ report launch, minister for digital Margot James reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to be at the forefront of 5G technology. 5G is the next generation of mobile network that is expected to deliver improved download speeds and latency. It is set to be deployed in the UK in 2020 and is expected to revolutionise the Internet of Things space.

 

“We want to be world leaders in 5G, from healthcare to transport,” James said.

 

“5G’s ultrafast connectivity will help establish an ecosystem where devices and buildings will be connected, creating a system for systems that interact with everything around them and it will enable the smart cities of the future.”

 

James, who succeeded minister Matt Hancock, previously served the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Mr. Hancock, on the other hand, was promoted to Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in January.

 

The minister discussed the billion-pound investment into the UK’s digital strategy. The investment is going into 5G test beds and projects that address the practical and economical challenges of 5G deployment.

 

The minister added: “Creating a 5G ecosystem has many challenges, which is why we’re investing a billion pounds into the digital infrastructure, including our 5G programme of test beds to simulate future 5G use.