Glasgow unveils platform to invite telecoms investments
In a bid to attract, accelerate, and facilitate digital infrastructure, Glasgow’s City Council has established a telecoms unit and portal to support the rollout of the fifth generation of mobile networks across the city.
The portal, which is a first in Scotland, is an effective source of information for any queries from the telecoms industry as it is placed as a single point of entry.
“Now more than ever, digital connectivity is vital to supporting our economy and helping the city’s residents connect with each other and access public services. The establishment of Glasgow’s new Telecoms Unit and Portal will improve our engagement with the telecoms industry to make it easier for the city to secure investment in crucial digital infrastructure,” Councillor Angus Millar, Chair of the Digital Glasgow Board, said in a statement.
The unit and portal, which was developed with the support of the Scottish Government, opens the gates for investments from the telecoms industry to aid the city’s ambitions of bolstering its digital connectivity across its services, its residents, and businesses alike.
The platform will offer vital industry information pertaining to the identification and publication of relevant council assets, while data layers can be downloaded from the asset catalogue to complement industry data systems.
“5G connectivity presents a significant opportunity for us in the years ahead, especially as we look to build back from the coronavirus pandemic,” Paul Wheelhouse, Scotland’s Energy and Connectivity Minister, said.
Wheelhouse added that the Scottish Government’s investment of £400,000 recognizes the commitment made by Glasgow City Council (GCC) to facilitate private sector investment in telecoms infrastructure, including 5G, in the city.
The unit will also showcase a transparent framework for pricing for access to council assets, streamline internal processes to ease applications from the industry for access to these assets and the deployment of infrastructure, and develop standardized legal documentation to govern such access.
“I welcome this innovative project which fulfils a key commitment in our 2019 5G Strategy, and we look forward to seeing Glasgow reap the benefits. The project complements other activities currently being taken forward by the Scottish Government and the Scotland 5G Centre designed to break down the barriers to telecoms investment in Scotland,” Wheelhouse added.
It is hoped the tools will help to accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city and ensure compliance to legislation and guidance, such as the Electronic Communications Code.