Ireland’s Road to 5G 

Funded by DRCD Digital Innovation Fund 2018
Funding awarded: €24,000

Contact details:
Dublin City Council
E: https://www.dublincity.ie/council/council-explained/contact-us
P: 01 222 2222

Who: Dublin City Council

Dublin City Council will take a lead on exploring how 5G supports improvement and enhancement of digital infrastructure nationally and regionally. 5G (fifth-generation mobile technology) is the new standard for cellular networks, upon which digitalisation relies. 5G technology possesses improvements in latency and bandwidth in comparison to its predecessors, making lightning-fast download and upload speeds, improved connectivity, and greater reliability possible. In short, 5G technology has the capability to majorly accelerate economic and social development.

Objectives are to:

• develop and maintain performant digital infrastructure necessary for digital community transition
• to bring together industry and academic experts, local authority staff and public asset-owners in a unique process aimed at solving issues related to the deployment of 5G
• to create an accessible, practical and comprehensive resource for local authorities across Ireland, a whitepaper and associated collateral, that will enable the solutions be replicated across Ireland

What: This project has connected partnerships across central government, local government, industry and Irish cities and towns to explore how best to take advantage of the possibilities that 5G can offer. These possibilities include providing high-speed home and business connections in even the most rural areas.

Why: This project has clear implications for the development of local digital strategies. 5G will be a key facilitative element in the smart city and town transitions necessary for a prospective competitive economy and human capital initiatives of the future. The project team is made up of experts in the field. They will provide a new suite of resources to help developers understand how best to put performant and sustainable mobile coverage to work for the country and region’s future economic potential. Some vital projects that will benefit include the roll out of smart vehicles, smart factories and smart city infrastructures.

UN Sustainable Development Goals: