›DCMS Rural Connected Communities – Competition Briefing Event

DCMS, working with UK5G, is running a funding competition briefing event in Leeds for the £30m DCMS Rural Connected Communities Project (RCC) as part of the 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme.

The RCC competition will fund up to 10 5G research and development projects to run over the course of two years. These projects will trial innovative use cases and technical solutions to build the business case for investment in rural connectivity and explore the capabilities of 5G to benefit rural communities.

Participants will be briefed on the scope, eligibility and how to make an application for funding.

Background: 

In Britain people expect to be connected wherever they are but poorer connectivity in rural areas risks hampering economic growth and social mobility. The RCC 5G trials will help generate a new and growing rural innovation ecosystem, driving rural economic growth, and the delivery of improved, lower cost public services. 

Use cases tested through RCC projects will help demonstrate demand from a variety of economic sectors and rural communities for 5G technologies. This will help to build the business case for investment in rural connectivity.

The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR) has considered the UK digital infrastructure market to understand investment incentives in future telecoms infrastructure, including 5G, and to establish which policy interventions are needed to deliver on Government’s future connectivity objectives. It sets out the framework and conditions necessary to underpin investment and innovation in 5G, and to deliver the Government’s commitment to have 5G coverage for the majority of the UK by 2027.

The DCMS 5G Testbeds and Trials (5GTT) Programme is a fundamental part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and key to delivering the objectives of the FTIR.

As part of the 5GTT Programme, DCMS has designed the new Rural Connected Communities (RCC) project, with the aim of building the business case for rural mobile connectivity (including 5G) by:

• Identifying and testing demand-led coverage models
• Testing a range of innovative technical solutions and commercial approaches
• Building and proving demand through new 5G use cases

The Event:

This briefing event is open to organisations and businesses who may be interested in leading or taking part in Rural Connected Communities projects, including:

• Local authorities and other public service delivery bodies
• Network providers
• Technology vendors
• Other organisations involved in the development, trialling and usage of applications, products and services

Also, if you are looking for potential collaborators there will be an opportunity for delegates to deliver a two-minute pitch to the room with a max of two slides for each pitch.