More than 20 remote tourist destinations now have access to reliable mobile connectivity for the first time thanks to a government-backed project.
The 5G DRIVE project, led by Virgin Media O2 and part funded by DSIT, has successfully rolled out new technology to bring mobile connectivity to 21 popular tourist destinations across Wales that previously had no cellular coverage.
The locations which include national parks and famous beauty spots are sparsely populated but attract large numbers of visitors and previously lacked any Wi-Fi or mobile coverage.
The introduction of mobile coverage for the first time is expected to have a significant impact on each location, improving safety for visitors and residents while providing new opportunities for businesses. In some areas the new networks have already been used to carry emergency calls that have led to lives being saved.
The project builds on the recent success of the Shared Rural Network programme, which is focused on delivering connectivity to rural communities.
In connecting these remote locations, Virgin Media O2 worked with its partners to successfully trial a solution which connects private networks to a public core, offering a cost-effective, secure, and efficient way of bringing mobile services to new locations that’s particularly well-suited to remote areas.
One of the locations to benefit from the project is South Stack, a picturesque nature reserve managed by the RSPB and popular tourist destination in Anglesey. Historically, South Stack has been a “not-spot”, meaning it had no mobile connectivity. The location now benefits from a permanent mobile connectivity solution, providing benefits to visitors.
Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning at the Welsh Government, said:
“This innovative project is delivering significant digital benefits to some of our most beautiful tourist locations. From safety to convenience and economic opportunity, it is connecting historic and often remote sites to the modern world. I am delighted Wales has been able to secure so many of the roaming services.”
Professor David Owens, Head of Technical Trials at Virgin Media O2, said:
“Our pioneering project has delivered reliable mobile connectivity to iconic tourist destinations for the first time. The innovative method of connecting private networks to a public core is a great way to help deal with some of the not-spots that exist across the UK. This rollout will provide visitors to some of the most remote and rural of areas with fast and reliable coverage, while also delivering significant benefits for local communities and businesses.”
Anthony Timson, Technical Director at wavemobile said:
“We are proud to be using British designed and built radio equipment from cellXica, and we have proved that our network can deliver not only great coverage but has the potential to save lives through emergency 999 access, which received over 67 calls since we started delivering sites last year. It has been great to see through our metrics that this project is having a significant impact and it is testament to the support we have had from DSIT, OFCOM and the Welsh & Scottish governments.”
The locations in Wales that are benefitting from this project are:
- Mwnt
- Trecwn West
- Gilfach
- Whitesands Lifesavers Club
- Nolton Haven
- Blue Lagoon
- Melin Tregwynt
- Cwm Penmachno
- Aberdwylan
- Celtic Camping
- Nant Gwrtheyrn
- St David's Cathedral
- Trecwn East
- Castell Henllys
- Rhodri Morgan Coastguard
- Poppit Sands
- South Stack RSPB
- Trefach South
- Trefach North
