techUK comments on Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) winner announcement
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has today announced which towns and cities are set to receive funding, as part of a £1.4 million pilot to test next-generation digital infrastructure.
Six areas from Cambridgeshire to North Ayrshire will receive funding to trial new multi-purpose street columns which will house equipment to support the rollout of advanced wireless networks like 5G or free public WiFi, boosting connectivity for people out and about in town and city centres. The aim of the trial is to demonstrate how new connected installations can help local authorities to deliver better services in their communities.
They can also be adapted to carry out a range of functions - from charging EVs to monitoring air quality, and displaying public information to saving energy with street lighting.
Today’s announcement is a welcome step from the UK government in putting wireless connectivity at the heart of local infrastructure deployment. We must empower more local authorities so that they can foster the greater use of advanced connectivity in their areas, helping unlock growth and innovation across the whole of the UK. As techUK set out in our recent Tech Plan, we must give consumers the confidence to switch to electric vehicles to help overcome “range anxiety”, one of the major factors preventing greater uptake of EVs. We hope these pilots can help other local areas realise the benefits that smart infrastructure promises
The six authorities which will see investment through the Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) are:
- Cambridgeshire County Council (£220,000)
- Tees Valley Combined Authority (£241,500)
- Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (£250,000)
- Westminster City Council (£192,000)
- Oxfordshire County Council (£250,000)
- North Ayrshire Council (£242,765)
By trialling different uses across these areas, the aim is to show how wireless technology can become an integral part of UK infrastructure, connecting public services and businesses in new ways to realise the full benefits of 5G and advanced connectivity.
The SIPP was designed to support the Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, which sets out the UK vision for advanced connectivity and key economic sectors that could most benefit from adoption, such as health and social care. The Strategy also recognised techUK's call for the public sector adoption to increase - across both central and local government - to help boost confidence across the economy in the take-up of advanced communications services.
The SIPP initiative will operate at scale and be empowered to unlock opportunities tailored to specific needs and strengths, to generate value and growth at the local level - working with local industry and public services through the adoption of 5G and other advanced networking technologies. The funding is made available through the Shared Outcomes Fund which encourages collaboration between different government departments to achieve common goals - SIPP is a joint effort between DSIT and the Department for Transport.
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Contact the team
Josh Turpin
Josh Turpin
Josh joined techUK as a Programme Manager for Telecoms and Net Zero in August 2024.
In this role, working jointly across the techUK Telecoms and Climate Programmes, Josh is responsible for leading on telecoms infrastructure deployment and uptake and supporting innovation opportunities, as well as looking at how the tech sector can be further utilised in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.
Prior to joining techUK, Josh’s background was in public affairs and communications, working for organisations across a diverse portfolio of sectors including defence, telecoms and infrastructure; aiding clients through stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, media outreach as well as secretariat duties.
Outside of work, Josh has a keen interest in music, painting and sailing.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 020 7331 2038
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-turpin/
Tales Gaspar
Tales Gaspar
Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure.
In the UK and Europe, he offered consultancy on intellectual property rights of cellular and IoT technologies and on the regulatory procedures at the ITU as a Global Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI).
Tales has an LL.M in Law and Business by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and an MSc in Regulation at the London School of Economics, with a specialization in Government and Law.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- +44 (0) 0207 331 2000
- Website:
- www.techUK.org
- LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/talesngaspar
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