Earlier this year, the UK government announced its desire to become an international technology superpower by 2030. To achieve this status, the government released The International Technology Strategy, an important part of which includes placing particular focus on investing into semiconductor and telecoms technology.
The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy from the UK government quickly followed, outlining the government’s ambitious plans to provide the United Kingdom with the fastest, most reliable wireless coverage available.
Investing into new technologies is extremely important for the UK economy. It has the power to improve the way businesses operate, unlock economic growth, and transform the lives of the UK population by including those who are currently digitally excluded. It could also position the UK at the forefront of worldwide technological innovation.
The shortcomings of 5G
The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy outlines how the government plans to provide all populated areas with ‘standalone’ 5G technology. A £40 million 5G innovation fund is also set to promote the 5G’s adoption by businesses and public services. While the government’s intentions to provide more and more people in the UK with better connectivity are wholly positive, the mission being so heavily reliant on 5G raises cause for concern.
Current 5G deployments are designed to operate in licensed bands and the speeds have proven to be slower than expected. The speeds were supposed to supersede 4G but are a disappointment for many people. Research has found that one in six [1] mobile users feel the potential of the technology is overhyped and less than half [1] have seen any noticeable improvements in speed or reliability since upgrading to 5G.
Another issue lies in the fact that the licensed 5G spectrum in the UK is currently served by a very small amount of private entities, essentially creating an oligopoly. This means competition is low and, due to the high cost of spectrum at auction, barriers to entry are high. The ultimate impact of this is that cellular vendors are only incentivised to deploy their network in densely populated areas, leaving people living in rural locations largely excluded.
The underlying issue
To effectively be a global technology superpower, we need to start at home and ensure that all UK residents, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed connectivity. It is estimated that 6% [2] of households in the UK do not have internet access. This problem is exacerbated in rural areas, where 17% [3] of rural residential premises and 20% [3] of rural commercial premises still do not have access to superfast broadband.This is not a new problem, but it was brought into sharper focus through the Covid-19 pandemic, when working and learning remotely became necessary. The cost-of-living crisis is only exacerbating the problem, with up to one million people [4] in the UK going so far as to cancel their broadband in the last year as their bills soar.
Be it a lack of access in hard-to-reach areas or rising costs, it is clear that the government needs to do something to address these issues. Licensed 5G technology is not the silver bullet for eliminating the digital divide as it is not as readily available to those in rural areas. Neither is fibre, thanks to the high cost of deployment making it essentially commercially unviable in sparsely populated areas. Meanwhile, the US government has invested billions of dollars [5] to improve broadband reach. If the UK invests solely in 5G technology, fulfilling the government's pledge to provide all of the UK with the fastest, most reliable coverage available will be nearly impossible.
Unlicensed mmWave bands offer the solution
It is clear that network providers need a less 5G-centric solution; one that will deliver much faster connectivity to those living and working in rural, and currently underserved, areas of the UK.
Unlicensed mmWave fixed wireless access presents the ideal solution for delivering connectivity to rural and urban areas alike and meets the demand for high-speed internet access. A currently underutilised section of the mmWave spectrum is the 60 GHz frequency range. The wide available bandwidth in this frequency range enables the transmission of large amounts of data quickly, making it suitable for delivering enhanced, fast and reliable connectivity.
60 GHz mmWave technology can offer connectivity in rural areas where wired infrastructure is limited or non-existent. Point-to-point wireless backhaul links between cell towers and remote sites in rural areas and over long distances facilitate the transfer of data between these locations, enabling connectivity in underserved regions. This enables the deployment of wireless connectivity in rural environments without the need to disrupt the natural environment.
As the spectrum is available and free, there is also an opportunity for smaller companies to innovate within the 60 GHz mmWave spectrum where competition still exists and deploy networks in sparsely populated regions.
There is no doubt that investing into telecoms and upscaling the UK’s technological infrastructure to provide better connectivity across the region will provide huge benefits to citizens and residents. However, the government need to rethink their strategy to achieve this. The strategy should include 60GHz mmWave deployments to complement existing fibre deployments in densely populated areas and connect those in remote areas. Leveraging the advantages of the unlicensed 60 GHz mmWave technology, the government will be able to provide faster and better connectivity to more people in the UK and encourage greater innovation.
Sources:
- www.independent.co.uk/tech/research-yorkshire-b2211486.html
- www.thefastmode.com/expert-opinion/26747-how-fixed-wireless-access-is-key-to-nationwide-connectivity
- www.local.gov.uk/parliament/briefings-and-responses/tackling-digital-divide-house-commons-4-november-2021
- www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65622403
- www.thefastmode.com/expert-opinion/29679-hybrid-fiber-and-ngfwa-network-designs-will-expand-and-accelerate-digital-divide-initiatives-in-2023
