UK standalone 5G rollout to be finished by 2030, ministers pledge

Ministers are set to invest millions in boosting the UK’s connectivity via a nationwide rollout of 5G.

All populated areas of the country will be covered by ‘standalone’ 5G – also called ‘5G-plus’, which is not reliant on existing 4G technology – by 2030, the government has pledged.

Technology secretary Michelle Donelan today unveiled a £40m 5G innovation fund to encourage business take up and a further £100m in funding for 6G research. 

Another £8m will be spent on connecting up to 35,000 remote homes and firms via satellite link, details of the wireless infrastructure strategy revealed.

Donelan said: “This package of measures turbocharges our progress towards becoming a science and tech superpower with a substantial initial investment in the future of telecoms.

“We want to ensure that 6G is developed to meet the needs of people and businesses right across the UK and bolster our international competitiveness throughout the economy.”

Julian David, CEO of trade association TechUK, welcomed the new funding, adding that wireless connectivity would play a key role in achieving “the UK’s ambitions for productivity, growth, prosperity and net zero goals”.

Howard Watson, chief security and networks officer at BT, also welcomed the extra investment but warned that the government’s ambitions could only be realised with “significant new private sector investment”.

The government said that 77 per cent of the UK population currently has basic 5G access.

The UK is due to hit 75 per cent gigabit broadband coverage this month, up from just 6 per cent in 2019, and is on track to deliver 99 per cent by 2030.