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14 January 2025
Technology laboratories, startups and research institutions at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus are set to benefit from enhanced wireless 5G connectivity now that Oxfordshire County Council has selected Vodafone to build and manage a 5G standalone mobile private network serving the campus. Vodafone will begin work on the project over the coming weeks.
England’s Connected Heartland is a 5G Innovation Region encompassing Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Coordinated by Oxfordshire County Council – and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – it is working to accelerate advanced wireless adoption for economic, social and environmental benefits.
“With Vodafone supporting the new 5G digital infrastructure, we're poised to explore the untapped potential on this exciting technology at Harwell, helping some of the most innovative businesses in the UK, based on the campus, to continue to thrive,” said Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council.
The project at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is funded by central government and will showcase how advanced wireless connectivity can benefit advanced manufacturing industry. The 5G mobile private network (MPN) will provide a highspeed, secure network for businesses and organisations at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. This network enables customisation of performance and characteristics to meet specific connectivity needs.
MPNs facilitate the creation of specialised services that are not feasible on public networks, thereby fostering innovation in sectors such as manufacturing, transport and logistics, energy, and healthcare. This allows for advanced use cases including asset tracking, drone detection, machine-to-machine connectivity, condition monitoring, and augmented and virtual reality, among others.
"We're delighted to partner with Oxfordshire County Council on this project. This initiative will not only boost efficiency and productivity but also foster the development of new use cases. The enhanced connectivity will empower businesses and research institutions to thrive, driving UK economic growth and technological advancement,” said Claire Harris, Head of Small, Medium and Enterprise Business at Vodafone UK.
“The 5G mobile private network will empower our diverse research and development community. Harwell, as the first science and innovation campus project in the England’s Connected Heartland (ECH) programme, is an ideal fit for this pioneering project. I am particularly excited that this project can serve as a framework for implementing 5G at other science parks across the ECH region, benefitting UK industry,” said Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at UKRI-STFC.
