Bucks Council announces £4m funding to improve 5G connectivity across the county

5G masts and boosters will be rolled out across rural Buckinghamshire as part of a £4 million plan with neighbouring counties.

The new Cambridge-to-Oxford East West Rail route which passes through Milton Keynes and Winslow will host the new 5G infrastructure, Buckinghamshire Council has said.

The aim of the Government-funded scheme is to give isolated communities and businesses better access to 5G technology, the current global standard for mobile networks.

Buckinghamshire Council leader Martin Tett said: “This isn’t about putting a lot of new masts up, this is about building 5G into the new infrastructure, so the only impact on our communities is positive.”

Councillor Tett also said Buckinghamshire has been “historically pegged back” by not having the access to high-speed broadband and 5G that bigger cities get, adding that improving connectivity was a “big priority” for the council.

Under the new plan, the council will be working with local authorities in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Together, the counties are dubbed ‘England’s Connected Heartland’ under the 5G project, which focuses on the Harwell Science and Innovation Park in Oxfordshire, as well as the new East West Rail route.

The council said that the “increased productivity” created by improved 5G connectivity can boost GDP growth, create new jobs and reduce energy consumption due to less travel and increased remote working.

Whilst Harwell is based outside of Buckinghamshire, it is hoped that the scheme can be replicated at similar sites in the county.