Mobile infrastructure

The Borderlands Partnership has been established to unlock the potential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England.

Representing up to £452million of fresh investment to the Borderlands area, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was formally signed on 18th March 2021 by Ministers of the UK and Scottish Governments, plus representatives of the (then five) councils of the Borderlands Partnership

Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are included in the 6 local authorities which make up the Borderlands Partnership.  Their ambition is to underpin sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the Borderlands region.

To find out more please visit the Borderlands website and the Digital Borderlands Infrastructure Strategy document.

The Home Office is leading a cross-government programme to deliver the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) critical communications system. This will replace the current Airwave service used by the emergency services in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and transform how they operate. ESN will enable fast, safe and secure voice, video and data across the 4G network and give first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline.

Investment in ESN will also mean improvements to 4G network coverage, which will allow 999 calls to be made from any 4G enabled mobile phone in some of the most remote and rural parts of Great Britain where it was not previously possible.

Read more about ESN

The UK Government Shared Rural Network mobile infrastructure programme, is seeking to deliver 95% geographical 4G coverage in the UK from at least one Mobile Network Operator by 2025. This work will be accomplished by a combination of commercial investment in areas with partial coverage and £500m of publicly funded investment into areas with no coverage from any operator (total not spots). The Connecting Cumbria team is working to facilitate and support deployment and to prioritise the county and maximise investment in Cumbria.

To find out more about the Shared Rural Network and how it is bringing mobile broadband to rural communities across the UK visit the SRN website.

To find out  the current predicted mobile availability in your area visit the OFCOM mobile postcode checker.

Progress so far…

We currently expect that the Shared Rural Network target will deliver 80% 4G geographic coverage from all four Mobile Network Operators by 2025 in Cumbria and 95% from at least one.

5G is a critical emerging technology which will create a range of opportunities for businesses, leisure, transport, service delivery and safety; it is important that Cumbria is not left behind as technology and roll out plans develop. 

5G New Thinking

5G New Thinking project brought together a consortium of organisations from across the public, private and academic sectors. They are working closely with people living and working in the Orkney Islands, the Borderlands, and Northern Ireland to understand their needs so that they can provide them with the practical tools, services, support, and guidance they need to consider building and operating their own next generation communications networks.  Find out more here.

Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator 5G

Accelerated rollout of advanced wireless networks, including 5G, will bring benefits to the UK economy and communities across the country. There are a number of challenges in deployment of wireless networks, and this project specifically explores those involved in using publicly owned infrastructure assets to support the roll out of advanced wireless connectivity.  Find out more here.