DORSET will be at the forefront of a ‘5G connectivity revolution’ as a project has been backed by government funding.

The smart place pilot project has been allocated £1million by Dorset LEP from the government’s local growth fund to BCP Council, who have increased the funding to £1.3million.

Based in the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth, a 5G digital test bed will reportedly improve services, provide free public Wi-Fi and attract new investment, employment and innovation.

The project is expected to create around 200 new jobs at the project site and in the surrounding area in the first two years and 400 jobs by 2025 and it is anticipated that the project will add £137 million to the local economy over the next 10 years.

Emma Mahy, CEO at IoT Solutions Group, an end-to-end ‘internet of things’ provider based in Swanage, said: “IoT Solutions Group is delighted to be a consortium member of BCP Council's hugely exciting smart place pilot project. The world is gradually waking up to the societal benefits offered by 5G, the internet of things and smart city infrastructure.”

Dorset LEP has also allocated a further £380,000 of the local growth fund to BCP Council to create a Dorset smart place investment plan.

The strategy will be used to attract significant inward investment for Dorset of up to £1 billion in new digital connectivity and technologies.

The Dorset smart place investment plan will include assessments of business and commercial models, costings for implementation and management of digital infrastructure, potential public service cost savings and evaluations of economic, social and health benefits.

The plan will also provide evidence to support bids for further major government investment.

Dorset LEP Chair, Jim Stewart, said: “We are incredibly excited about these two projects, which will put Bournemouth ahead of competitor towns and cities in the UK as a leader in digital communications.

“Creating a digital test bed in Dorset will lead to new investment, new employment, innovation, higher productivity and sustainable economic impact and growth.

“Unlike previous wireless technologies which have been mainly focused on mobile phones, this new technology will enable machine-to-machine connectivity at a massive scale with high performance functionalities like real time and an enhanced broadband communication.

“This opens up huge new opportunities for local manufacturers and integrators and could see Dorset lead on the development of 5G-enabled machines. Existing businesses could diversify by creating new digital portfolios and new businesses could be established.

“Ultimately our aim is to see an improved digital infrastructure throughout the conurbation and the rest of the county.”

BCP Council leader, Vikki Slade, added: “We are delighted to be pushing forward with smart place pilot and are excited to see the results of the Dorset smart place investment plan.

“This new age of connectivity is not just about faster mobile phone speeds through 5G. It will enable machines to connect to the internet and share large amounts of data simultaneously, sparking new business innovations.

“It will also help us understand how 5G and other new technologies could help improve public services and quality of life for residents.”