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The Government-funded scheme aims to address the mobile network ’ s connectivity and capacity issues across the city .
The trial has received a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Works and will see a network of around 16 small , low-power cell radio units installed in key locations on lamp posts around the city centre .
Councillor Paul Roper , Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development , said , “ Many of us are familiar with the poor mobile phone reception areas in the city centre , especially on busy days when , with the current system , it is difficult to even send texts and make phone calls .
“ We have carried out surveys and many residents cite connectivity issues , reliability and cost as a barrier to accessing services and information online . So it is great news that our area has been selected for this Government-funded pilot which aims to address those digital inequalities and improve mobile connectivity in a highlychallenging World Heritage City . If the pilot
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proves successful we hope it will be opened up to the wider public next year .”
The £ 773,132 Government grant will fund the pilot scheme which involves 200 to 300 volunteers from a broad mix of local communities testing the new 5G network . If successful , there would be an opportunity to open up the network to the wider public following consultation in mid-2025 .
During the pilot phase , a specific SIM card will be provided for users to test the network and at least 200 high-specification handsets will be provided to volunteers in order to test its resilience and performance in managing high demand in a dense environment .
Two indoor locations , the Roman Baths and Bath Rugby Stadium , have also been identified as options to install additional radio units to test the network to benefit customer experiences .
During the pilot phase a number of test events will also take place where users place high demand on the network at the same time and location , with the potential for
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more realistic testing to occur during future events such as sports fixtures and the Bath Christmas Market .
Currently the scope of the initial pilot focuses on central Bath . However , there could be potential for additional networks to be added to the high streets of Keynsham and Midsomer Norton , increasing the benefits of the improved digital connectivity , coverage and speed across the authority area .
A Single Member Decision report which went before Councillor Roper earlier this year highlighted a market failure in the sector , with a lack of investment from private
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telecoms companies exacerbated by the UK Government restricting some international vendors .
As a result , the Department for Science Innovation and Technology issued a series of Open Network Ecosystem ( ONE ) funding calls to unlock investment in new nextgeneration open mobile networks that will help open up the telecoms market and boost connectivity .
The grant for the scheme has come from the Department for Science , Innovation and Technology ( DSIT ) which put out an Open Networks Ecosystem ( ONE ) funding call in March 2023 .
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