Public 5G Wi-Fi set for East Cambridgeshire by 2022

Every market town in the North and East of Cambridgeshire will have public 5G Wi-Fi available by 2022.

The decision to extend the 'Connected Cambridgeshire' programme was made at the annual meeting of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority on May 29.

Paul Raynes, director of strategy & assurance at the combined authority, said: "Initial deployment to Wisbech will be completed by August 2019, closely followed by Chatteris, Whittlesey and March."

He added: "Plans will be finalised for all East Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire market towns by September 2019, and all the market town deployments should be completed by December 2019.

"We now want to extend the original plan, taking full fibre coverage to over 30% of Cambridgeshire by 2022.

"This will mean public 5G Wi-Fi deployments in village halls and other community locations for at least 20 rural locations right across Fenland."

In addition to the provision of super-fast Wi-Fi throughout the region the 'Connection Cambridgeshire' programme also addresses the issues with mobile phones, the so called 'not spots'.

Mr Raynes said: "We're working with Ofcom, DCMS and other mobile operators to develop a mobile improvement plan targeting 4G 'not spots', together with a meaningful strategy and planning for 5G deployments."

In March 2018, the combined authority board allocated up to £5.6 million funding over a four-year period to support better digital connectivity across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area.

The board endorsed the newly extended plan.