Guidance

DCIA Local Authorities Survey supporting information

Updated 29 April 2021

Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator – Digital Platform

Local Authorities Survey

Introduction and Background

Local Authorities and Wireless Telecommunications Infrastructure Providers are key stakeholders in the supply chain for the rollout of national digital infrastructure and advanced wireless connectivity, including 5G networks. Local Authorities directly manage a significant portfolio of publicly owned property, in other words assets, which are often uniquely well suited to installation of wireless telecommunications equipment. Simplifying the interactions between Local Authorities and the telecommunications industry promises to significantly accelerate expansion of existing wireless networks and connectivity, and by extension support local economic growth and digital inclusion in communities across the UK.

Within the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) project, DCMS and its cross-government partners aim to support implementation of a national Digital Platform for mapping and brokerage of publicly owned assets for use in the rollout of wireless communication networks. The main aim of the Digital Platform is to make transactions between public sector asset owners and telecommunications companies as frictionless as possible, so to lower the costs of site acquisition and to accelerate the rollout of digital connectivity.

Since the publication of the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review in 2018, a significant progress has been made in accelerating the rollout of advanced wireless networks thanks to Barrier Busting and 5G Testbeds and Trials programmes. However, one persistent issue repeatedly highlighted during these programmes by both telecommunications industry and Local Authorities is the difficulty in finding locations and agreeing the rights-of-use to deploy equipment on public property. Current processes are all too often fragmented, manual in nature, and lacking supporting data and digital tools.

By working closely with representatives of local and regional governments in implementation of a Digital Platform, the DCIA project will look to deliver significant savings of Local Authorities’ resources by eliminating the need for complex case-by-case interventions currently generated through planning requests for deployments of telecommunication equipment. Consequently, this should result in increased utilisation of publicly owned assets that is in harmony with community interests and local place-making ambitions.

With this survey we seek feedback specifically from Local Authorities across the whole of the UK. If you represent another type of organisation and would like to receive further information or are interested in providing a contribution, please contact dcia-info@dcms.gov.uk.

Results of the survey will set a benchmark for the project against which its success will be measured. It will also help DCMS refine our approach and make any adjustments to how we work together with both public and private sector organisations to ensure we deliver valuable outcomes for all stakeholders, including local communities and businesses.

We thank you in advance for your interest and for responding to the survey.

Explanation of key terms

The survey uses a number of specific terms in the context of publicly owned property being used to install and operate wireless telecommunications equipment. We use following definitions to help understand and answer survey questions.

Types of Local Authority owned assets

Land: Any public land owned by the Local Authority upon which a standalone physical structure can be built for the purpose of installing wireless telecommunications equipment, for example a mast on a side of a public road or on a public estate.

Property: This predominantly refers to public buildings, where wireless communications equipment can be installed on rooftops or external walls.

Street Furniture: A shorthand term for any physical structure which has been built to provide public utility such as street lighting, traffic management, public safety, etc. but can also be used for installations of wireless telecommunications equipment. Examples include street lightning columns, CCTV poles, traffic signage gantries, and similar.

Wireless Telecommunications Equipment

Different types of wireless communications equipment compete for the space on same sets of public assets, which is why they are of interest in this survey. These can include:

Mobile Networks Base Stations: Also known in industry terminology as RAN (Radio Access Network) equipment. This type of equipment operates using licenced radio spectrum and can take form of larger Macro Cells (typically deployed on rooftops and masts) or Small Cells (deployed mounted on street furniture). Mobile technology supported by the equipment can be “any-G” but in the context of current and future connectivity it is most likely to include 4G or 5G.

Small Cells: A specific form factor of a mobile network base station – see above.

WiFi access points: For the purposes of this survey we refer specifically to public access outdoor WiFi using standardised licence-exempt radio spectrum. Similar in form factor to mobile network Small Cells, these are a familiar sight on high streets and transport hubs across the country, often installed on tall street furniture structures such as tall lampposts and high rooftop shelters.

Internet of Things (IoT) wireless connectivity: Also known by the technical name as Low Power Wide Area Networks (LP-WAN). Traditionally these networks use dedicated equipment separate to Mobile Networks and use licence-exempt spectrum at low frequencies. In the future this “machine-to-machine” connectivity will also be included in the 5G technology. But for now, a standalone equipment is used, typically a wide-area base station mounted on a high structure such as a rooftop, with sensor-enabled devices (such as air quality monitors) mounted on street furniture.

Wireless backhaul – All of the above types of equipment represent different categories of wireless access points, i.e. devices that emit the signals connecting to end-user devices. Access points themselves need high-bandwidth connections to the core of the communications network, and these connections are referred to as ‘backhaul’. Fibre optic broadband connections are often used for backhaul, but in some cases the same function is implemented using fixed wireless radio connections. Radio transmission equipment for these wireless connections will also be mounted adjacent to the access point equipment on one end, and next to the core networks ‘points-of-presence’ on the other end of a link.

Wireless Telecommunications Infrastructure Providers

This is a purposefully broad term within which we consider all of the following types of organisations within the supply chain of site acquisition and telecommunication equipment installation, commissioning, operations and maintenance.

Mobile Network Operators – The four companies that own licenced spectrum and operate mobile networks in the UK (BT EE, Telefonica O2, Three UK, Vodafone UK) and their respective operational arms (Cornerstone Communications and MBNL).

Alternative Network Providers – A diverse group of companies within which we consider private network operators (for example: campus networks or networks dedicated to specific industrial applications) and neutral host providers that build and lease physical network infrastructure to other network operating companies.

IoT connectivity service providers – Companies that specialise in deployment and operation of LP-WANs, whether using standardised or proprietary technologies. See the previous note about IoT wireless telecommunications equipment.

Tower companies – Intermediaries in the supply chain, focusing on ownership, construction and maintenance of ‘passive’ site infrastructure, such as mast structures and associated civil works, power supply management, and general environmental management. This passive infrastructure is leased to network operators who in turn deploy ‘active’ equipment such radio transmission and backhaul equipment.

Digital Platform for Asset Mapping and Brokerage

Digital Platform - At a high level we consider a Digital Platform to be an online tool which digitalises and to a certain degree automates the process of finding and securing rights-of-use of suitable assets for deployment of advanced wireless telecommunications equipment. The main purpose of the platform is to make transactions between public sector asset owners and telecommunications companies as frictionless as possible, so to lower the costs of site acquisition and to accelerate the rollout of digital connectivity.

Asset Map – The simplest form of a Digital Platform, this is an online map of asset locations with limited information on availability and suitability of assets for installation of wireless telecommunications equipment. It can be used as basic inventory database and for initial identification of sites before performing further technical and commercial assessments.

Asset Register – Contains all the features of an Asset Map and adds classification intelligence with information on asset type, suitability, terms-of-use, etc. As such it automates the process of asset assessment but does not allow for transacting the asset for the rights-of-use.

Asset Marketplace – Comprises all the functionality of an Asset Map and an Asset Register with added transactional intelligence. In principle the rights-of-use of an asset can be secured with a-click-of-button without requiring manual intervention, enabled by in-built set of transaction rules and standardised contractual templates within a Digital Platform.