Tests on how 5G technology could be used to enhance everything from remote music events to autonomous lorries are to receive a funding boost as the UK ramps up trials. Projects in Sunderland, Preston, Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton and Suffolk will receive a share of £30 million in funding, aimed at seeing how high-speed connectivity can improve UK industries.

These include AI-controlled traffic lights in Manchester designed to cut pollution and congestion, as well as the potential for 5G-powered remote music festivals to be trialed at the Brighton Dome. In Preston, 5G will be tested against robotic assembly processes with the aim of delivering RAF’s Tempest fighter jet at half its current cost. BT Sport will look into how 5G can transform live sport viewing through virtual reality using Samsung kit, marking the first time the South Korean company has participated in a UK-based 5G trial project. A private 5G network will also be developed in Liverpool to provide remote NHS video consultations for families unable to afford good connectivity.

Minister for Digital Infrastructure, @mattwarman, spoke to the #5GCreate winning projects earlier today to congratulate them and discuss the exciting benefits they will bring to the UK 🇬🇧https://t.co/lXAEWD6H1P pic.twitter.com/87uCmjj9ZE

— Department for Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) July 30, 2020

The £30 million package includes £16.4 million from the Government, match-funded by private firms and local authorities.

A second set of projects to receive funding will be announced in the autumn.

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