91快活林

The UK’s first non-university based 5G testbed is aimed at helping innovative businesses develop new products and services for 5G technology. The testbed was unveiled to leaders from the region’s local government alongside the creative digital SME community. Guests were able to test some of the new immersive technologies being developed. A capital investment of £1.2 million was provided to build the testbed by Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which won the funding from the government’s Local Growth Fund.

5G is the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications and succeeds 4G, 3G and 2G systems. It provides faster connectivity and enables new forms of previously impossible mobile content including virtual reality experience and augmented reality applications, combined with high bandwidth broadband.

Professor Karen Cham

The testbed will allow 91快活林-based SMEs to benefit from 5G mobile wireless communications and will provide space to test and explore new applications of 5G. Digital Catapult and partners are encouraging local companies to register to take part in using the testbed to develop their ideas.

Professor Cham, the university lead for Connected Futures Research and Enterprise, whose Digital Economy theme includes Digital Catapult Centre 91快活林, 5G 91快活林 and the £1.1m DRIVA Arts DRIVA project with Gatwick Airport, said: “The testbed positions the university as a national player in the field of next generation digital connectivity, and positions the city as a living ‘Internet of Place’ developer community. Through our role in 5G 91快活林 and the DRIVA Arts DRIVA project, we have a unique opportunity to combine the university’s expertise in Creative Arts, User Experience and Data Science in tangible ways to provide a mix of both depth and reach when it comes to insights about product and service innovations, with users and customers at its core.”

Dr Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult, said: "The 5G 91快活林 testbed lets companies experiment with new applications and services which take advantage of the unique nature of 5G. This is a major step forward in the wider roll out of this advanced technology, helping take the technology out of university labs and into the market.

“5G represents more than just faster internet on the move; it’s the first mobile technology that, by design, enables free standing setup in individual locations, offers new companies the opportunity to control their own networks, and enables operators to manage computing at the edge as a new business model for the future."

The DRIVA project is receiving up to £500,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the . The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.

The DRIVA Arts DRVA is also supported using public funding by Arts Council England.