Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 19 | Page 15

NEWS Government to boost 5G and simplify planning to support mobile deployment £ 40 million is to be invested in 5G testbed and trial projects across UK industry as part of government plans to improve mobile connectivity. UK government to propel 5G mobile connectivity Previous investment in the 5G testbeds and trials programme has driven work in the healthcare, tourism, transport and broadcasting sectors. The latest investment will support similar work in the logistics and manufacturing sectors. Projects will trial ways which can help these sectors increase their productivity and output, boosting the UK economy. The trials could cover different manufacturing processes as well as across road, air and sea-based freight logistics. The funding was announced by Digital Secretary, Jeremy Wright, at the 5G World Conference as part of London Tech Week. The latest round of investment is through the £200 million project to test 5G technology that’s up to 10 times faster than 4G and able to support more than a million devices per square kilometre. Wright commented: “As part of our modern Industrial Strategy, we’re making sure that Britain has a telecoms infrastructure that is fit for the future. “5G is about more than mobile phone consumers having a fast and reliable connection anywhere in the country. It’s a vital piece of technology that can be used to improve the productivity and growth of our industrial sectors. That’s why we’re excited to develop new trials in areas such as manufacturing and logistics that can really benefit from 5G.” ///////////////// Minister sets out plan for new technologies to transform public services Strategy, setting out the government’s approach to enabling widespread adoption of new technologies across the public sector. The new AI Guide will be used across government to help departments implement new opportunities for AI, such as how to make cancer diagnosis more reliable and reduce fraud in an ethical and safe way. Oliver Dowden reveals his plan to utilise new technologies A plan for how the government can harness new technologies to transform public services has been set out by the Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden. In a speech at the start of London Tech Week (June 10), the Minister launched a new guide to help government embrace AI and an online marketplace to support tech start- ups sell to the public sector. These measures accompany a new Technology Innovation www.intelligentcio.com • The Ministry of Justice targeting safety risks in prisons by using AI to analyse thousands of pages of inspection reports and identify common issues • The Department for International Development using AI to analyse satellite images, so that it can estimate populations and better target aid Examples include: Tech start-ups will also see a boost to their ability to win government contracts through the launch of Spark, a new online marketplace that provides a route into the public sector for companies offering innovative technologies. • The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency making roads safer and cracking down on rogue garages, by using AI to look through records of the 40 million MOT tests carried out across the UK every year to identify where standards are not being measured properly Dowden said: “The UK has led the world in harnessing technology to transform public services, but we cannot afford to sit back. Adoption of new technologies by the private sector is changing how people live their lives and the public sector has to pick up the pace to stay relevant.” The guide also brings together research on how AI is already being used by the public sector to save money and improve services. INTELLIGENTCIO 15