On Tuesday 2nd December, the ECH team attended UKTIN’s “Future Network Programmes: Legacy and Launchpad” event at Tobacco Dock, London. This exclusive event showcased the enduring impact of the Future Network Programmes, with a strong focus on building sustainable business and funding models for the telecoms sector.
It was fantastic for the ECH team to reconnect with long-standing partners from across the industry. Special thanks to our delivery partners, Vodafone business and AWTG, who joined one of the panels on stage to share their expertise and highlight our projects.
- Ian Vernon highlighted AWTG’s innovative approach to connectivity and its integration with our 5G Railway project.
- Chris Bridgeman from Vodafone shared insights on our collaborative work at the regionally significant Harwell Campus.
A standout discussion point: Why choose a Mobile Private Network over public Wi-Fi? Here’s what private 5G brings to the table:
- Enjoy full ownership and control of your data from connected devices, ensuring privacy, security, and compliance with business requirements.
- Tailor the flexible and agile architecture of private 5G networks to your business’s specific needs—start small, scale easily across multiple locations, and integrate seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure for maximum adaptability.
- Benefit from up to 1,000x greater network capacity, enabling your organisation to handle much higher data volumes than 4G.
- Connect 10–100x more devices per square kilometre, supporting dense and dynamic environments.
- Achieve 10–100x faster data speeds, powering advanced applications and real-time services.
- Experience around 5x lower latency, enabling near real-time data transfer for critical operations.
- Extend up to 10 years of battery life for low-power, machine-type devices, supporting long-term IoT deployments.
These advances are game changers for Advanced Manufacturing and Transport: the industries we’re focusing on as part of the ECH programme.
A compelling case study from Ericsson and Jaguar Land Rover illustrated the stakes: every minute of Wi-Fi downtime at their Solihull plant costs £40,000. Efficiency is critical for businesses aiming to grow, therefore secure and reliable connectivity isn’t just an advantage—it’s essential.
Find out more about our projects: https://englandsconnectedheartland.co.uk/active-projects/