The UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy

DSIT explains that the WIS is a policy framework to help deliver the government’s priority of growing the economy and to ensure the UK benefits from advances in wireless connectivity for the next decade. Crucially, we see DSIT recognise the critical role spectrum plays in telecoms and other sectors. Plus an explanation that it has focused on cellular mobile networks but recognises the role of other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, satellite communications services, private networks and low power wide area networks.

Linking the UK’s ambition to be more productive and prosperous with the coverage and take-up of broadband and mobile, Chapter 2 summarises existing policy measures and funding mechanisms including Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network. New for 2023 is a 10-point plan for rural connectivity, with additional commitments to reporting by Ofcom, establishing a new headline nationwide ambition for 5G in all populated areas by 2030, a new £40 million 5G Innovation Fund to establish "5G Innovation Regions", a 5G adoption campaign, spectrum access, and the appointment of Rural Connectivity Champion. It’s welcome to see deployment and adoption brought together here – as well as an approach using multiple technologies to connect the hard-to-reach.

Noting that digital infrastructure provides the backbone of the UK economy and society with ever more jobs, public services and societal interactions built upon its foundations, DSIT then outlines its 2030 ambition. First up, a helpful outline of the 5G evolution (from non-standalone through to advanced). Then, the benefits on offer should demand for 5G and advanced comms services be fully stimulated, restating DSIT’s ambition for nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas of the UK by 2030. There is no public funding for this ambition, though DSIT commits to supporting commercial investment by working “closely with the telecoms industry to strengthen the investment environment, continue to remove barriers to deployment, ensure regulation is not a barrier to innovation and boost demand for wireless services”.

One of the meatier and more significant sections of the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy. Here we see DSIT reflect on and share insight on the policy levers it feels can boost the commercial investment picture for the UK. These levers extend from government’s support of a dynamic marketplace that promotes competition (infrastructure and retail level) and drives innovation, efficiency and value for users. DSIT confirms its view from the FTIR that there is no ‘magic number’ of mobile network operators in the market: it is open to consolidation and any decision on mergers is for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Planning reform appears less substantiated in ambition than other topics.

A topic that is currently attracting high levels of attention – Net Neutrality – is succinctly quietened: Ofcom has a clear role in updating guidance, and NN and the “Fair share” debate will be closely monitored. Finally – demonstrating the value of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum following the publication of the Analysys Mason review of mobile spectrum market mechanisms – DSIT instructs Ofcom to review and set out for ministers a clear and forward-looking rationale for its approach to setting mobile spectrum fees before the end of 2023.

A very welcome step - £40m of public funding will go to regions and local authorities across the UK, helping to establish themselves as ‘5G Innovation Regions’, promoting innovation through investment in, and scaled adoption of, 5G and other advanced wireless technologies by businesses and public services. This is something techUK called for in our FTIR report: Fit to deliver for 5G and full fibre four years on? – for government to demonstrate the value of 5G for the public sector by establishing itself as an anchor tenant for 5G infrastructure and services. DSIT also calls for local digital infrastructure strategies for each local area, with digital champions and coordinators, to help local areas “stack” use cases and attract investment.

Chapter 6 examines in more detail the ways in which advanced communications services – including 5G – can unlock innovation and accelerate the digital transformation of key “verticals”, and the impact across the UK this will have in the coming years. These verticals include: health and social care; automotive, logistics, freight and trade; broadcasting and entertainment; energy; agritech; and how 5G can support the UK’s transition to net zero. Digital skills is mentioned – but no new policy measures. Interestingly, DSIT points to the potential role the UK Infrastructure Bank may play in identifying the gaps to finance in new and growing infrastructure and business models as it considers investment opportunities.

We now have UK Vision for 6G in 2023, approximately seven years before the government sees commercial deployments on a large scale. DSIT is open that it doesn’t fully know what 6G will look like yet but “it has the potential to address some of the important challenges of our time”. Therefore, alongside the 6G vision and six pillars of the UK’s new 6G Strategy, DSIT has announced it is launching a new, long-term national mission, with initial funding of up to £100 million, to ensure the UK is at the leading-edge of future telecoms and 6G technologies. The six pillars are: UK Vision; R&D; Patents and Standards; Spectrum; International Alliances; and Roadmap. Again, it is welcome to see this ambition stated so early on in the 6G journey, which remains today in the academic research phase, but we sense the devil will be in the detail here, and we look forward to working with DSIT and techUK members as the 6G vision develops into reality.

Realising the benefits of 5G: DSIT (then DCMS) commissioned Cambridge Econometrics, together with Analysys Mason, to conduct this study to understand the likely applications of 5G technology (use cases); understand the sectors that will benefit most from these capabilities; understand the barriers to take-up of 5G services; and understand the overall economic impact generated by the success or failure of 5G roll-out in the UK. The report uses evidence from a literature review and a series of interviews with UK stakeholders and was completed in August 2021.

Review of the 5G ecosystem, adoption and industrial use cases in Asia by ABI Research: The objective of this study was to better understand the impact and extent of real world deployments of 5G and it covers: the impacts of 5G use cases from 156 case studies, across 10 sectors; the productivity, carbon reduction and safety benefits of 5G use cases; and a cost-benefit analysis for the average large manufacturing firm upgrading to 5G. The report uses evidence from literature review and a series of stakeholder interviews: it was completed in December of 2022.

Ensuring future wireless connectivity needs are met: Analysys Mason, together with Oxera, was commissioned to investigate the wireless connectivity landscape, the wireless connectivity needed to support future use cases, and wireless solutions; assess the extent to which UK connectivity providers will deliver the cellular infrastructure to meet future mobile traffic demand; and identify demand-side and supply-side policies that could be used to stimulate the market or support investment to meet connectivity needs. The report uses evidence from a literature review and a series of interviews with UK stakeholders and was completed in May 2022.

Ensuring optimal value from spectrum: This research was carried out by Frontier Economics and LS telcom to help better understand how to maximise the overall value of spectrum to the UK. Specifically, the study attempts to: assess the value of spectrum to a range of different sectors and applications, from mobile communications and broadcasting to maritime transport and space science; examine trends and drivers of demand for spectrum, and forecast future demand for radio spectrum by sector over the next five to fifteen years; and identify future challenges to ensuring spectrum in the UK is optimally used and allocated; and examine policies which could be implemented in the UK to improve the optimal value and use of spectrum. The research was conducted until May 2022 and therefore does not take into account more recent developments.