Goodbye 2G and 3G, hello 5G: Dorries agrees £50m to make UK telecoms safer
The government announced new measures this morning to boost UK telecoms security, including phasing out 2G and 3G by 2033.
This comes under plans to help bring in new telecoms suppliers to build the 5G networks, and forms part of UK’s new £50m package to boost innovation in mobile network tech.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport have said that the measures are a key step in providing nationwide security and resilience, and comes as Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries travels to the US to discuss future cooperation on telecoms, tech and data with US counterparts.
Meeting with US Secretary for Commerce Gina Raimondo, the leaders will renew their commitment to diversifying the global telecoms supply chain and discuss shared ambitions and co-operation on transatlantic data policy.
The Digital Secretary will meet with several senior ministers and officials on the four-day visit to Washington DC and New York to build cooperation on her digital and tech priorities.
Dorries said on the new investment in 5G and its ambitions: “We can only do this through stronger international collaboration and I will be meeting with our US allies today as we strengthen our ties on technology.”
The announcement follows the UK’s decision to ban Huawei equipment from 5G networks and the recent introduction of the Telecommunications Security Act.
The government have committed £250m to build a more competitive, innovative and diverse supply chain for telecoms, to reduce the world’s over-reliance on a few equipment makers.
The government has agreed with the UK mobile network operators (MNOs) Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media O2 and Three that 2033 will be the date by which all public 2G and 3G networks in the UK will be switched off; this will free up spectrum for 5G.
Sara Rasmussen, chief commercial officer at Telness Tech, a cloud-based telecom solution, said: “Whilst this is a positive step in the right direction, it’s frustrating that the government has been forced to intervene to support the process.”
“Telcos have been unable to innovate alone despite warning signs telling them to roll out new technologies. Hopefully, this encourages telcos to put their foot on the innovation accelerator that the industry so desperately needs to move towards an infrastructure suitable for the modern age.”
Open networks
In the next step in the tech revolution, the government and MNOs are also announcing new plans to boost innovation and accelerate the rollout of a new wireless communication technology known as Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), which enables mobile networks to be built using a variety of different equipment suppliers.
Open networks can feature components from multiple suppliers within one mast site or allow for components to be exchanged or used as replacements at masts that, until now, have been kitted out by a single supplier.
The new plans include a joint ambition for 35 per cent of the UK’s mobile network traffic to be carried over Open RAN by 2030, £36m in funding for fifteen projects to trial the technology across Scotland, Wales and England, and a £15 million cash injection for the SONIC prototype testing facility for next-generation telecoms tech.
Nadine Dorries will also meet with Director of the White House Office for Science and Tech PolicyDr Eric Lander today. They will discuss strengthening ambitions for the US-UK Technology Partnership which aims to foster collaboration on shared challenges across a range of issues including online safety, data and digital competition.
She will also speak at a reception at the UK Ambassador’s Residence in Washington attended by a selection of digital, tech and cyber stakeholders from the US administration, think tanks, Congress and UK government. She will promote the upcoming UK National Cyber Strategy which will strengthen the country’s collective security and defend a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace.
Steve Papa, chief exec at Parallel Wireless, one of the originators in OpenRAN tech, commented on the move: “The UK Government’s Open RAN target could see the country become a leader in the delivery of 4G, 5G and even 6G networks.”
“Operators have needed a clear roadmap for how to move to Open RAN networks – a transition that will provide long term benefits, including security, profitability and agility. For consumers, it means that they will have access to networks that feature best-in-class technology. With more competition in operators’ supply chains, it will drive down the cost of their infrastructure, and those savings will mean more capacity and coverage for consumers in rural and urban areas.”
“It will now be interesting to see if other nations follow the UK’s targets, or risk the slower and more costly innovation cycles of the closed telecoms equipment providers of yesteryear.”