A bid led by Dorset Council has been awarded £4.335m to help understand how rural communities could benefit from next generation mobile connectivity.
A consortium of council, local, national and international partners plans to show that mobile infrastructure can be delivered cost effectively and sensitively to benefit rural businesses and communities.
The Dorset project is one of seven across the UK to be funded by the Government’s Rural Connected Communities competition over the next two years.
The total cost of the 5G RuralDorset initiative is £6.675m with the council contributing £150,000. The rest will come from industry and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Four trials in the county will look at innovative public, social and business uses of improved mobile coverage. They will test whether this connectivity can be delivered cheaper and quicker using existing masts, buildings and fibre wherever possible to minimise visual and other impacts on communities.
Agri-tech – new wireless technology on existing masts and fibre owned and operated by internet service provider Wessex Internet to allow innovative agricultural uses. These may include ‘smart’ farm controls, crop and livestock monitoring and using drones to spray more precisely and minimise chemical run-off into local water courses.
Lulworth Estate – new mobile services to unlock social and commercial benefits. These will include Vodafone bringing enhanced mobile phone coverage to the area for locals and the 1 million visitors who visit each year. Additional possible uses from tourism and education to healthcare will be considered.
Connected coast – improved safety along a section of the coast by upgrading access to digital communications for first responders and supporting organisations.
5G Innovation Accelerator – at Dorset Innovation Park, Winfrith. This Local Enterprise Zone and advanced-engineering centre already supports large and small companies that develop innovative connected products and services. New connectivity will support businesses operating in the county and across the supply chain to test and develop products in a collaborative and secure way.
Deputy Leader of Dorset Council Peter Wharf said:
“We are delighted to receive this funding. Improved connectivity is critical to our smart rural place aspirations and making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit.
“Introduced sensitively in our world-famous UNESCO-recognised coastline and the wider environment, 5G can help keep vulnerable people safe and well, deliver economic growth, and provide enhanced educational and social opportunities.
“This exciting project won’t banish all the county’s mobile phone not-spots but is an opportunity for Dorset to become a leader in Europe in understanding how next generation connectivity can positively transform the lives and economies of rural communities. We look forward to sharing our learning experiences with other parts of the UK.”
Unlike 3G and 4G, the term 5G doesn’t refer to a single thing but to an ecosystem of technologies – wireless communications, hardware and software – that together offer high quality network services.
Government is funding trials to see if the next generation of mobile services can be rolled out differently to help solve rural challenges. 5G builds on previous generations of wireless connectivity, so trial areas will also get 4G coverage.
The project will start in March 2020 and is due to be completed by end of March 2022. A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.
The 5G RuralDorset consortium includes Dorset Council, Vodafone, Wessex Internet, Excelerate Technology Ltd, Bournemouth University, Kimcell, Hugslock, Telint, Neutral Networks, University of Strathclyde, New Generation Internet Services and Satellite Applications Catapult.
More detailed plans for the trial sites are now being developed and there will be opportunities for people to find out more about the specific plans, ask questions and give their views.
To stay up to date on the 5G RuralDorset project follow @digitaldorset on Twitter, subscribe to the Digital Dorset e-newsletter or read the Digital Dorset blog.
Please do not forget Weymouth when improving mobile connectivity. I occasionally get a signal here in the Park District, but the strength is very poor. Messages can take days to arrive. As almost everyone wants to use their mobile to get in touch these days, the lack of connectivity has led to a lot of problems.
Having travelled across Europe to Turkey by car, they use the system of roaming connectivity, whichever mast is generating the strongest signal, from whoever the provider is, enables the phone to latch onto that signal for calls to be made. Of course the UK providers want to keep the present system in the UK as it means their customers are locked into them exclusively, with the benefit that as calls drop out another and another call has to be made, which of course has to be paid for by the user. It eliminates the opportunity to experience other providers. I believe its called a Monopoly
Yes it is a kind of monopoly. It is however an oligopoly but one authorised by OFCOM, Her Majesties Governement by the Minister of Culture Media and Sport.
Write to your MP and kick their rears!
How long till our virtually non existent Vodafone signal hits Pentridge SP5 5QX effectively Right now it’s dire?
Another 20 years – until there is proper mast sharing / roaming. With this Government and Council don’t raise expectations.
It is amazing that everybody wants only improved connectivity faster and better. Why does nobody highlight that the 5D microwaves go through everything like concrete walls, and every space of your home! Why does nobody ever mention the down side , the health issues that by many scientific studies have documented serious detrimental effects? Should not the council feel responsible for the physical and mental health of its citizens?
Are you not obliged to investigate how the public’s health can be safeguarded?
I totally agree with your concerns
There has not been to date ANY research into the effects of short wave millimetre microwaves on public health or biodiversity
Check out Mark Steeles website for the consequences of 5g on health
interesting enough serval US states and EU countries are having a moratorium because of the concerns yet DC are aiding and abetting this roll out without any research into the consequences [Accessories and Abettors Act 1861]
What travesty
Brussels has banned 5G within the entire city because of the potential health risks associated with 5G. Why can’t, or won’t, Dorset Council consider doing the same for our county, instead of caving in to pressure from telecom companies whose only concern is making ever more money? To impose 5G on us all without any safety trials being done would be an act of gross negligence and irresponsibility. It’s time the Council listened to the concerns of the thousands of scientists worldwide who are sounding the alarm over 5G, instead of the telecom companies.
Thank you for mentioning that.
Trees are going to be cut down as the microwaves don’t go through. Plus we are going to be living breathing microwaves constantly. 5G is not an improved/ continuation to 3G or 4G it is in addition too.it is a totally different frequency and tests have not been done on the impact on the human body. It also is bad for wild life.
Our project aims to understand how 5G can be introduced sensitively using existing structures, wherever possible. 5G encompasses frequencies that can be used for both long and short range – and some of the frequencies are already in use. Our project will accept and follow national and international guidelines. Public Health England’s guidance is based on WHO findings, which is that exposures to radio waves below the limits recommended in international exposure guidelines do not appear to have any known consequence on health.
The secret 5G rollout issue in Gateshead is now officially of public interest and will be treated as a landmark case for other people to start using this Court’s ruling to challenge their Councils. We know Surrey, Westminster and Luton all have these toxic Microwave EMF arrays installed on their new LED streetlights. We now know even if these arrays are currently 2G, 3G or 4G they can be 5G enabled by fitting a ‘lens’ that ‘focuses’ the frequency.
The Judge declared Mark Steele as a credible expert and engineer on EMF and GSM technologies, which proves Gateshead Council are liable for corruption, misleading the public, making people ill and attempting to discredit Mark Steele and all others such as Smombie Gate fighting 5G rollouts.
We need to follow the lead of US citizens who are preparing a class action lawsuit agianst their government for implementing 5G whilst knowing that the technology is extremely hazardous to ALL life forms.
This is all very well and no doubt the trials will help to give better connectivity for Dorset in years to come. However, there are still areas of Dorset like my area of Moreton that cannot even get a normal mobile phone signal in the home. Also fibre broadband is still not available here as the junction box for fibre is in Crossways so we cannot access the superfast lines. Perhaps the members of the group setting up the trials should come out to the area around my home and see what life is like in the real world with no mobile connectivity and ultra slow download speeds!
Hi Peter if you would like to email your address and postcode to superfast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk we’ll find out what the latest plan is for your area. Thanks.
Hi Peter,
Try contacting Wessex Internet. We have our own Full Fibre Network in Moreton and may well we able to give you a gigabit connection within weeks. email us at sales@wessexinternet.com.
NO trials have been done on the safety or otherwise of 5G, only on 3G and 4G, so it’s totally disingenuous to con the public into believing that 5G is safe. Many hundreds of scientists who are experts in their field have been raising the alarm about the danger to human health of 5G frequencies, yet governments, at the behest of the telecom companies, are determined to roll out 5G everywhere, whilst completely ignoring the warnings of so many experienced and reputable scientists.
As of 22 February 2020 more than 200,00 concerned scientists, environmentalists and concerned citizens worldwide have signed a petition to the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and all the governments of this world, calling upon them to halt the rollout of 5G. The petition, and the scientific reasons for the warnings therein, can be read here: https://www.5gspaceappeal.org/the-appeal
No government of local authority anywhere has any right to implement such a dangerous technology that has the potential to seriously damage human health. 5G technology was originally developed by the Israeli military as a WEAPON OF WAR. This is a provable fact.
Thanks for your comment. Our project accepts and will follow national and international guidelines. Public Health England’s guidance is based on WHO findings, which is that exposures to radio waves below the limits recommended in international exposure guidelines do not appear to have any known consequence on health. You can read the Public Health England statement here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health.
WHO have caterised mobile phones as category 2b carcegencic
Read the above posts about hundreds of papers regarding the real health concerns of microwave millimetre signals as mentioned above this is a former military system and has been used for crownd control
Yet DC are rolling this out without ANY concern to public health
The WHO does not consist of scientists who are experts in the field of radiology, therefore their opinions on the subject of 5G carry no weight. Wireless industry bosses have admitted that NO safety trials have been undertaken to ascertain whether 5G is safe – but numerous scientists worldwide have said that it is NOT safe. It should be borne in mind that 5G was originally developed as a weapon to be used in crowd control, and also on the battlefield. That of itself should ring alarm bells.
“The WHO does not consist of scientists who are experts in the field of radiology”
The W H O is a UN body and has a definition of Health as:
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The bibliographic citation for this definition is: Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June – 22 July 1946.
This definition most definitely includes the effect of all sorts of radiation whether atomic or wireless or from the sun. All sorts of radiation lead to ill health. You will not be surprised to learn that within “research Topics” the W H O lists radiation and radiation emergencies. Drilling down into radiation the W H O has further topics on Melanomia, sunburn and then a whole section on “Supporting the development of policies on electromagnetic fields”.
Mr Lewis seems ignorant of this area of the W H O and its efforts. To suggest in that state of ignorance that the W H O and their opinions on the subject of 5G carry no weight has no logic. Please ignore Mr Lewsi’s post!.
we need to take DC to court
In the USA a class action lawasuit against the government is currently being prepared against the rollout of 5G because it has been proved that the US government has known for decades that EMF’s are hazardous to human health and are a danger to the environment. We need a class action lawsuit against DC if they insist on destroying our health.
Can we PLEASE have some mobile signal in Milton Abbas ? There was a threat of it a couple of years ago but even though planning permission was eventually granted to Vodafone nothing happened. PLEASE make it happen, any signal would be good!
We know it’s frustrating not being able to get mobile signal in some areas of Dorset. This issue is not something Dorset Council can resolve – we need mobile operators and central Government to make this happen.
The money we recently won was specifically for 5G trials, but part of the project is to understand how mobile connectivity in general could be rolled out differently in future to overcome some of the barriers that prevent network coverage in rural areas like Dorset. What we learn from this project won’t cure our `not spots’ overnight, but should help speed things up.
Dorset Council has consistently sucked up to the Miniatry in Westminster. Their action should be to challenge OFCOM to revoke the licendes of Vodafone for not providing coverage in rural Dorset. They should be highlighting just how difficult it is to get a signal here.
The success of wessex Internet (which I applaud) demonstrates that OpenReach and BT along with Vodafone etc are not caring. They need a kick in the rear!
To be honest here, DC is in the last stages of a project to provide Dorset with as close to 100% super fast coverage as possible. The delivery partner for this was and remains BT. When push came to shove on the harder to reach parts of Dorset, BT wouldn’t install because BT wouldn’t make profit. The only culprit of lack of connectivity on any areas is the capitalist mindset. If profit were not a consideration, you’d have connectivity right now.
I would probably be much more impressed by this news item if I had FTTC at my address – TA20 4NR – where we feel totally neglected. Are we the last postcode in Dorset to be suffering with basic broadband and what can we do to get just one rung up the ladder? We have to work for a living as well!
Hi Roger if you could email your address to superfast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk, we’ll let you know what the latest plans are for your area. Thanks
I live in a Lytchett Matravers and I have no mobile signal at all, either in my house or garden. I rely totally on my land line, which means that during the frequent power cuts the village experiences, I have no means of communication with the outside world. I am in my 70’s, I live alone and this concerns me. I would really appreciate any investment available being targeted on improving existing mobile coverage rather than on 5G. I understand this is not what this funding is earmarked for and that Dorset Council cannot cure the ‘not spots’ problem. However, the Council has a voice and it’s a much louder voice than any single individual. I would therefore ask that it exhorts any influence it has on Central Government and mobile providers to improve the local situation. Thank you
I live in Lytchett Matravers and my mobile signal is so poor we can not have a Smart Meter. British Gas Twice twice and then gave up.
In the house the signal is poor and conversations frequently break up. I am with Three and though there is a mast near Bulbury but even hanging out the upstairs windows does not produce much improvement. Parts of Lytchett Matravers have a good signal with O2, but Old Pound Close is just on the edge of good reception. Anything that can be done would be appreciated.
Hi Ros – We know it’s frustrating not being able to get mobile signal in some areas of Dorset. This issue is not something Dorset Council can resolve – we need mobile operators and central Government to make this happen.
The money we recently won was specifically for 5G trials, but part of the project is to understand how mobile connectivity in general could be rolled out differently in future to overcome some of the barriers that prevent network coverage in rural areas like Dorset. What we learn from this project won’t cure our `not spots’ overnight, but should help speed things up.
I strongly suggest that before forcing 5G on Dorset residents, the Coucil read AND TAKE NOTE of the following article: https://www.takebackyourpower.net/britains-first-5g-court-case-and-the-people-won/
Peter Wharf, Deputy Leader of Dorset Council, has stated that “5G can help keep vulnerable people safe and well.” He is either knowingly deceiving the public or is ignorant of the dangers to human health and the environment that are posed by 5G technology. If the Dorset Council imposes 5G technology on the residents of Dorset without regard to the PROVEN dangers to human health, the Council will be guilty of crimes against the people, and may one day, as is the case in the USA, face a class action lawsuit. Numerous scientific studies have proved that EMF’s are hazardous to human health, 5G particularly. The Council has no excuse for being unaware of these dangers, seeing as there are many studies online, posted by experts in the field of electromagnetic radiation. However, at this stage it seems that the Council is prepared to betray us all on the pretext of delivering even faster internet services.
A recently declassified report prepared iin 1976 for the then US Defense Intelligence Agency has resulted in the preparation of a $1 trillion class action lawsuit against the US government, by scientists, lawyers and other concerned citizens. This report proves that as long ago as 1976 scientists knew that electromagnetic radiation is extremely hazardous to health, yet governments deliberately ignored the dangers and lied to the public by saying that EMF’s pose no risks to health. The declassified report (http://stateofthenation2012.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/us_dia_1976_biological_effects_of_electromagnetic_radiation.pdf) states that, amongst many other effects, high frequency EMF causes the following symptoms in humans exposed to it:
“Subjects exposed to microwave radiation exhibited a variety of
neurasthenic disorders against a background of angiodystonia (abnormal
.changes in tonicity of the blood vessels). The most common subjective
complaints were headache, fatigue, perspiring, dizziness, menstrual . disorders, irritability, agitation, tension, drowsiness, sleeplessness,
depression, anxiety, forgetfulness, and lack of concentration.”
Since the publication of that report, many scientists worldwide have documented the same kind of health disorders in humans exposed to high frequency EMF such as 5G. Dorset Council is planning to inflict all the aforementioned, and other serious health disorders, on the population of Dorset whilst claiming that 5G will be of benefit to us all.