National Working Group on 5G urgently needed 

Ireland needs a five-year roadmap to remove barriers to the rollout of next-generation communication networks at the local and national levels.

A coordinated approach being helmed by a National Working Group is essential to ensure Ireland does not miss the significant economic potential associated with 5G.

A new discussion document, “5G and Future Connectivity: An Emerging Framework for Irish Cities and Towns”, was published today by Dublin City Council, Sligo County Council, and the CONNECT research centre.

It highlighted how the absence of a roadmap for national connectivity risks eroding Ireland’s economic competitiveness.

National Working Group required

It calls for the establishment of a National Working Group to address this.

The document draws on findings from an online survey of telecoms vendors, mobile operators, and local authority broadband officers.

It makes a number of recommendations calling for stronger alignment at local and national levels which could work towards building a National Working Group.

Dr. Brendan Jennings, Interim Director of CONNECT, said:

“The economic opportunity associated with 5G and next-generation networks is well documented: the global impact in goods and services is expected to reach $12 trillion by 2035.

He went on to call for more organisation:

“A much more coordinated approach is needed if all regions in Ireland are to capitalise on this. The economic difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic make this all the more urgent.

He then stated the need for stakeholders to make themselves known:

“The document recommends the establishment of a National Working Group to shape a shared vision for connectivity in Ireland. It should be composed of key stakeholders: government departments, local authorities, mobile operators, equipment vendors, the research community and bodies like IBEC, ESB Networks, ComReg and the EPA”.

Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead at Dublin City Council, said:

“Local authorities, in particular, will play a vital role in Ireland’s path to 5G, so collaboration and engagement between councils and mobile operators will be essential to facilitate a sustainable rollout.

“For instance, the challenge of accessing power in an affordable manner is a make or break issue for future deployment of 5G. There needs to be continuous communication with ESBn via the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to resolve unmetered power issues for the installation of small cells on unmetered supply.

“There is also a need to build a database of assets such as street furniture, ducting, and streetlights, and assess their suitability for use in 5G deployments. Other issues such as the issuing of section 254 licences for delivery of new mobile sites or equipment installs such as small cells must also be addressed.

Nigel Carter, Digital Innovation Lead, Sligo County Council, said:

“We hope the document stimulates debate and discussion among stakeholders to ensure that Ireland realises its connectivity potential and remains a highly competitive economy.”

“In addition, it is critically important that safety monitoring continues and the latest scientific guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is communicated clearly.”

Discussion document

The discussion document was funded and supported by the Digital Innovation Programme of the then Department of Rural and Community Development.

Preparation of the document was led by the Smart City team at Dublin City Council in collaboration with leading telecoms experts, Sligo County Council, and CONNECT for the establishment of a National Working Group.

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