The not-for-profit company is owned by the West Midland Combined Authority and the DCMS and said the network will aid telecoms research, development and innovation
West Midlands 5G (WM5G) has won a £10 million contract from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to create the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN).
WM5G won this tender as part of a consortium led by Digital Catapult and included Cambridge Wireless (CW) and the University of Bristol.
It will help businesses and researchers access funding and testing facilities across the UK to promote investment into research and development.
WM5G managing director Robert Franks said: “We’re delighted to have won this tender along with our consortium partners and DCMS. The UK already invests over £1 billion a year in telecoms research, development and innovation.”
“Through UKTIN we will turbocharge this investment – helping the UK extend its leadership in open networks and vital new technologies such as 5G and 6G – building on the strengths of our regional clusters to create more skilled jobs, attract more investment and deliver economic growth.”
The UKTIN is planned to start running from September, where it will begin to take over from UK5G to help organisations get the most out of what the UK is offering.
WM5G will also lead the creation of a National Telecoms Entrepreneurship, Employment and Training Network as part of UKTIN.
