Dorset Council has been awarded £500,000 to spearhead a new pilot project to look at ways of boosting mobile digital coverage.
Joining forces with partners Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Hampshire County councils, this new ‘Wessex Digital Infrastructure Accelerator’ scheme will examine how online mapping technology can help speed up the rollout of connectivity.
The successful funding bid was led by Dorset Council and is one of eight pilot projects to receive a share of the government’s £4million Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator fund.
It will build on the platform already developed by the award-winning 5G RuralDorset team, which has looked at how using publicly owned buildings and equipment can be used to encourage mobile operators to speed up coverage and reduce costs.
Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Corporate Development and Transformation, said: “Dorset has two ambitious unitary councils which understand the power of digital to make their areas better places to live, work and visit. It’s essential that we have a joined-up view of the thousands of public assets that can help deliver the connectivity our communities need.
“I’m delighted we have won this money to work with our neighbouring councils, government and industry partners. It will allow us to take the asset mapping work done as part of the successful 5G RuralDorset project to the next level, allowing quicker and cheaper roll-outs of broadband and wireless networks.”
The project will identify how street furniture, such as CCTV poles and road signs, can be used to improve 4G and 5G coverage .
Rolling out seamless 5G requires a larger number of smaller sites to place kit. to meet surging demand for connectivity.
And mapping and identifying the different types of equipment the three councils own will demonstrate how local authorities can play an integral role in improving wireless coverage.
In time, it could mean faster rollout of connectivity and coverage and make rural areas more attractive to mobile operators.
Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said: “Everyone gets frustrated when their mobile signal is poor, particularly when patchy coverage holds up important work and social calls and makes it harder to do stuff online. That is why we are determined to get the UK the connectivity it needs by rolling out better mobile coverage as quickly as possible.
“Currently, mobile companies are finding it difficult to get the data they need to check that a lamppost, bus shelter or public building is suitable for hosting their kit. It is all part of our joined-up strategy to deliver world-class connectivity to every corner of our country.”
The 12-month project is due to start in March 2022.
Its findings will feed into the government’s research programme and inform future policy on how local authorities might manage existing equipment for future mobile connectivity roll-out.
Finally achieving a Mobile Mast in our car park in Worth Matravers through
our licensing agreement when will Dorset Council achieve full coverage from it in the local area as only two of the four major service providers are located on the mast.
This is still very important as even recently an ambulance was unable to find a property it was called out to in the WM village as they had no signal on their mobiles
Hi Roger
Thanks very much for your comment. The mast deployment at Worth Matravers was part of the 5G RuralDorset programme, a research and development project to explore how next generation connectivity could improve the lives of people living and working in Dorset. The network and infrastructure were deployed by our project partners Vodafone which has gone some way to addressing coverage issues in the area. Unfortunately neither 5G RuralDorset or Dorset Council has influence over how the mobile network operators deploy infrastructure. However Vodafone have proved that deployment in rural areas can be efficient, commercially viable and delivered in a reasonable time scale, so we’re expecting that one benefit of our research could be that other network operators will take notice and follow suit.
Thanks again for your interest.
James Pryce
5G RuralDorset
to get a signal I have to stand at my gate or in the room above my garage.
It means it’s not worth me having a mobile phone . It would be great to have a signal
Good that trying to tackle mobile signal “notspots”. Frustrating, though, that not a joined up policy – where we live in Kimmeridge we have a 5G project covering parts of the Bay but where we actually live – only about 250m from the mast, we don’t even have 2G – we have no mobile signal. It would be better to spend money on addressing areas like ours that have no signal, rather than wasting money on a small number of 5G demonstration sites, which are really of little practical use!
Morning Stephen
Thanks for your comment. The 5G project you are referring to is 5G RuralDorset, a DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) funded research programme aimed at exploring how next generation connectivity can benefit rural communities. One expected outcome of this research is that we hope to prove that deploying infrastructure and coverage in rural areas is viable for mobile network operators, as was the case with Vodafone at Worth Matravers. Unfortunately the Council has no direct influence over how and where mobile network operators (MNOs) will rollout networks, nor do they deploy infrastructure, but by being involved in these projects, can make the case for rural areas and encourage MNOs to provide proper coverage.
Thanks
James Pryce
5G RuralDorset
How about using churches? Intended built on highest points with towers providing extra height and all round signal. Please start with Fordington as despite the area supposedly having excellent signal we haven’t on Icen Way, not even 4G in house or near house. Never mind 5G. No bars in house at all unless I stand right in bay window.
This is great… But the priority really should just be getting reasonable coverage to Moreton and much of that side of Purbeck.
Dorset Council – it seems only Bournemouth Poole and Christchurch are important. What about the rest of Dorset with no or minimal mobile signal – highlighted during the power cuts this weekend when SSE automated call centre thinks everyone has digital access to press button 2, 5 etc. With the impending wifi/modem operated system of phone lines what is going to happen when power is down so there is no mobile signal and even old plug in phones won’t work?
I get no mobile reception in my Ferndown home, or @ my mother’s in 3 Legged Cross or @ my son’s in Morden. Such poor communication in 2022 is beyond frustrating and was dangerous during the recent power cuts when ma (very elderly) & son were both without power so no landlines either.
I don’t want 5g, any g will do!
Dear James
Please can you send me all the planning applications submitted for the 5 G mast and TV screen at Kimmeridge. In particular the paperwork which allows the screen to be on bright 24 hours a day facing out to sea. I am also interested in seeing the justification for the power used at a time when we are trying to reduce such consumption to reduce carbon emissions
Many thanks
Hi Ben
Thanks for getting in touch. That shouldn’t be a problem. If you can email me direct: hello@5gruraldorset.org i’ll start pulling together what you ask for and send it back.
Kind regards,
James
Could you advise if any safety concerns have been raised with 5 G non ionising radiations effects?
We accept and follow national and international safety guidelines in this area. You can read the Government’s information on exposure to radio signals from 5G technologies here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-mobile-technology-a-guide