5G Trials Programme Overview

About the programme

The 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme (5GTT), part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), looks to harness areas where the UK has a competitive advantage – such as in scientific research, engineering talent and our rich variety of technology businesses.

Matrix showing project location & industry vertical 

The Programme is exploring the benefits and challenges of deploying 5G technologies in line with the following key objectives:

• Accelerate the deployment of 5G networks and ensure the UK can take early advantage of the applications those networks can enable.
• Maximise the productivity and efficiency benefits to the UK from 5G.
• Create new opportunities for UK businesses at home and abroad, and encourage inward investment.

Successes so far:

• We’ve already completed 8 projects and have over 30 more projects up and running in 34 counties across 13 regions across the UK, with around 200 project partners.
• We’ve encouraged industry to take a leading position in global 5G deployment. We saw all four mobile network operators launching 5G networks in the UK during 2019.
• Across the Programme, we’re exploring 140 5G use cases accelerating 5G adoption in targeted sectors (including agriculture, utilities, automotive, transport and logistics).
• We’re supporting over 10 new and emerging equipment vendors and testing new access technologies in a range of trials to help broaden and secure the UK’s telecom supply chain in line with the government’s diversification strategy.
• Despite the impact of coronavirus, the 5G projects have been resilient in their progress and testing, and 15 new projects from the 5G Create competition were awarded £28 million of industry matched funding in late 2020.

The video below shows some of the benefits 5G could bring through the programme’s initial portfolio of projects. More information on our latest projects to follow over the next few months