The Government has announced that eight winning projects will receive a share from the £4 million Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) to explore how digital software can help simplify local authority processes when telecoms operators request access to publicly owned buildings and kerbside infrastructure.

The Government explains that street furniture, such as road signs and CCTV poles, can be used to improve 4G coverage but they are also integral to the roll out of 5G, which requires a larger number of smaller “cell sites”, where antennas and other telecoms equipment are placed to form a network, to ensure seamless coverage and to meet surging demand for connectivity.

However, it is difficult and time consuming for telecoms firms to acquire the information needed to verify that a structure is suitable for hosting network equipment, such as its location, physical dimensions, proximity to the street or access to a power source, which is slowing down the pace of deployment.

In response, the Government will invest in piloting the latest innovations in digital asset management platforms. This software will enable local councils to more easily share the data that mobile companies need to accelerate their roll out plans and deliver the revolutionary benefits of 4G and 5G to people and businesses. To read the Government’s announcement in full, click here.