S5GConnect Dundee unveils the power of 5G at Abertay cyberQuarter

Published: 7th December 2022

The Scotland 5G Centre celebrated an Open Day at S5GConnect Dundee alongside Abertay University and Dundee City Council.

The Scotland 5G Centre’s Dundee hub, based at Abertay cyberQuarter hosted an Open Day, showcasing the potential of 5G and how it’s revolutionising how we do business, including increasing productivity, reducing downtime and supporting organisations to improve workplace efficiency, security and reliability, through providing accurate real-time data and monitoring.

S5GConnect Dundee, serving Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Angus and Fife, is working with Abertay University and Dundee City Council, to drive growth and increase opportunities for employment and investment in the city and the wider Tay Cities region. The hub also supports research and development on enabling technologies for applications where 5G plays a key role.

At the Open Day, organisations, local authorities and members of the community heard from Kirsty Scott, Business Engagement Manager for S5GConnect Dundee on how the hub can enable digital transformation, providing access to the hub’s dedicated 5G Mobile Private Network, and a range of free services including bespoke advice and access to emerging 5G applications.

Mark Flynn, Convener of Dundee City Council’s City Development Committee outlined the area’s digital vision, including the development of an outdoor testbed at Dundee Central Waterfront, supported by Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust through the Dundee Central Waterfront Growth Accelerator and the £2 million Tay Cities Deal backed Tay5G project, which will deliver use case trials and a Challenge Fund to support use case trials delivery.

Professor Gregor White, Dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics examined how the Abertay cyberQuarter initiative can help solve global cybersecurity challenges; and Brad McGuire, Director of Programme Innovation at AWTG spoke about the installation of the 5G testbed and how this will contribute to 5G infrastructure in the region.

Attendees were also invited to participate in live, 5G-enabled demonstrations from University of Glasgow’s Communications, Sensing and Imaging Group. Already showing an impressive £29M return of investment on the Scotland 5G Centre’s initial investment of £1.6M, the University of Glasgow’s projects offer sustainable smart solutions, paving the way for the development urban innovation districts in the future.

Some of the capabilities of this 5G technology include:

• Monitoring energy usage and encouraging smarter ways of working by integrating devices to smart grids for real-time monitoring and forecasting of future energy needs
• Supporting a wide range of sectors to reduce costs and training times by providing more immersive and engaging content to employees.
• Creating fully immersive solutions to remove the barrier to physical participation in culture, heritage and tourism attractions for domestic and international audiences to drive significant economic and social value

Following the Open Day, the hub also hosted an interactive experience for local companies to visit the Abertay cyberQuarter, engage with the demonstrations and meet the team.

Kirsty Scott, Business Engagement Manager, S5GConnect Dundee said: “We are excited to have a hub here in Dundee in the middle of the Tay Cities Regions and we look forward to supporting local companies with a knowledge hub where companies can test, design and prototype leading edge goods and services for the rapidly emerging industrial 5G era.

“The Dundee based Hub is here to enable businesses to reap the benefits from this Fifth Generation technology, and help individual organisations run trials on the test bed and understand the benefits in addition to receiving roadmap technical support on their digital journey.

“We want to help companies not only understand the advantage that next generation connectivity solutions can provide but help to be more efficient, more resilient and more competitive in key sectors.”

Mark Flynn, Convener of Dundee City Council’s City Development Committee said: “The S5GConnect Dundee Hub marks another significant milestone in Dundee’s identity as a cluster for digital innovation.

“Not only has the open day provided an opportunity for businesses and organisations to find out about the Hub and what it is all about, it showcases the ways in which they can capitalise on the 5G testbed and the Tay5G Project and innovate with 5G.”

Professor Gregor White, Dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics said: “We are pleased to welcome the S5GConnect Hub to Abertay cyberQuarter as we continue to build on the diverse range of tech-focused companies and organisations becoming involved in our new site. The rollout of 5G in Dundee opens the door to numerous opportunities and the potential for significant growth, so we are delighted to be working with key 5G partners to advance the city’s progress in this space.”

Photo Credit: Chris Scott Photography Dundee

The Scotland 5G Centre announces new CEO to lead it into next phase

Published: 3rd November 2022

The Scotland 5G Centre, the national centre for accelerating the adoption of 5G connectivity in Scotland, has appointed Derek Waddell as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Paul Coffey.

Waddell has extensive expertise of carrying out interim roles and in helping innovation centres make a step change in their growth journey.  His recent interim positions include Director of Technology Transfer at University College Cork; Head of Commercialisation, Enterprise and Investment at the University of Strathclyde; and as the Director of Converge. He has also previously been CEO of Edinburgh Research and Innovation.

The Scotland 5G Centre has made vast progress since its inception three years ago. It has moved from predominantly a research and development role, having funded three ground-breaking projects which have delivered an economic return in excess of £30m, created high-quality new jobs, a spin-out company and a toolkit to support increased digital adoption.

During these three years, the Centre has established the S5GConnect Programme with five urban and rural S5GConnect hubs now deployed across Scotland and two more to be announced soon. Now, the Centre is making its next step to target support for Scotland’s industry, public sector, and communities to enable them to harness the power of digital transformation. These innovation hubs are the local focal points that will give Scottish organisations access to cutting edge 5G mobile private networks, providing an opportunity to test new 5G enabled products, services, and solutions.  This in turn may lead to improved productivity, cost savings, better routes to market, better community connectivity and help to level up the digital divide.

Julie Snell, Chair of The Scotland 5G Centre said:

“The Scotland 5G Centre team has made great progress in raising the awareness for the need to deploy 5G technology with some impressive outcomes so far.  It’s a very exciting time for the Centre as we move toward a much wider delivery phase and I’m delighted to have Derek’s expertise onboard to ensure we take the Centre into a new stage – delivering significant economic, social and skills development value through our 5GConnect hubs and testbeds.”

Derek Waddell, interim CEO at The Scotland 5G Centre added:

“It’s a privilege to take on the role as Interim CEO and lead the Centre in this next stage of the journey, supporting organisations to realise the huge economic and societal potential that the deployment and adoption of 5G brings. Sectors like agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, or logistics are now seeing what a game changer 5G is and the Centre will be there to make sure there is no-one left behind in this digital transformation era.”

The Scotland 5G Centre officially launches its 5G Innovation Hub in Ayrshire

Published: 28th October 2022

The Scotland 5G Centre celebrated the launch of its S5GConnect Innovation Hub at HALO Kilmarnock, in the HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre following the installation of a dedicated 5G Mobile Private Network, deployed by Vodafone in eight weeks.

The Scotland 5G Centre, in partnership with Vodafone and HALO, will support local organisations to realise the benefits of digital transformation.  Local companies have free access to the hub’s dedicated 5G Mobile Private Network to explore and adopt new digitally enabled opportunities with benefits such as increased productivity, decreased downtimes, enhanced customer experience, unparalleled digital security and reductions in cost and carbon footprint.

At the launch, businesses, local authorities and members of the Ayrshire community heard how the Centre, through its National Suite of Innovation Hubs across Scotland, is working with the private and public sectors to enable step changes in business through the application of 5G. Attendees also participated in a series of 5G-enabled demonstrations.

The University of Glasgow (one of Centre’s founding partners), highlighted how organisations can remotely monitor room capacity and desk occupancy, which, when combined with artificial intelligence, can be used to gather data on peak times of occupancy in order to save energy and reduce their carbon emission.

Vodafone demonstrated their Mixed Reality solution combining the real and virtual world. Mixed Reality (MR) is the merging of the worlds, allowing the user to see the physical world alongside digital overlays. These could come in the form of instructions, videos or 3D computer generated objects. The technology will be used in training to improve the learning of complex processes and the speed of completing repetitive tasks, as well as for specialists to provide remote support to on-site engineers.

Digital Barriers, a local security company showcased the combined power of 5G and AI in an object classification and facial recognition demonstration. The combined technology has many potential applications in the manufacturing and security sectors.

Following the launch event, the HALO Kilmarnock 5G Innovation hub hosted an interactive open day which allowed local businesses to meet the team and engage with the demonstrations, which were run hourly.

The S5GConnect HALO Kilmarnock hub is situated at the heart of Kilmarnock town centre, supporting the growth and resilience of the Ayrshire economy. The installation of 5G in facilities such as this are critical to ensure the benefits of digital technology are made available to all communities and businesses across the UK.

Sharon Neely, Business Engagement Manager for S5GConnect HALO Kilmarnock said: “I’m delighted to launch the S5GConnect HALO Kilmarnock Innovation hub with support from our partners at Vodafone and HALO. The Innovation hub provides knowledge, expertise and space for businesses to prototype, design and trial goods and services over a private 5G network.

“We look forward to supporting local companies and local public sector bodies, to help them to unlock the benefits of 5G enabled technology and how it allows them to achieve a step change in their business.”

Kim Moran-Hogg, Head of Scotland & Northern Ireland, Vodafone Business, said: “Vodafone are delighted to partner once again with The Scotland 5G Centre for the launch of the 2nd 5G Hub, in HALO Kilmarnock. This testbed will make sure Scottish businesses and public bodies have access to next-generation technologies, powered by state-of-the-art private networks.

“It’s vital that leading-edge technologies are available to drive opportunity for both businesses and citizens and 5G is critical to deliver these opportunities, ensuring the benefits of digital reach every community across the UK. This centre of excellence in Kilmarnock can be a showcase for Scotland and the whole of the UK.”

Dr Marie Macklin C.B.E, Founder and Executive Chair, The HALO Urban Regeneration Company said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time at the HALO and the opening of the S5GConnect HALO Kilmarnock hub highlights our commitment to enhancing both the local and national approach to digital and cyber.

“The HALO is setting the standard for low carbon energy sites across the UK offering a state-of-the-art environment for entrepreneurs specialising in green growth by building a sustainable community powered by renewable energy.”

The presentation shown during the event can be viewed here.

Digital Scotland 2022 – Futureproofing Scotland through 5G

Published: 26th October 2022

On 25^th October 2022, The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) showcased the possibilities and capabilities of advanced technology at Digital Scotland 2022 in Edinburgh.

The Centre Marketing Team exhibited in the main hall with the University of Strathclyde’s StrathSDR team, who demonstrated the benefits of a 5G standalone Network in a Box for broadcast media production, the same one the team used recently to broadcast the Queen’s final departure from Scotland, and University of Glasgow’s Communication Sensing & Imaging Group who showcased some of their uses cases including 5G-enabled teleoperation.

In the afternoon, S5GC Chair Julie Snell hosted a Masterclass Session with Professor Muhammad Imran, University of Glasgow and Professor Bob Stewart, University of Strathclyde.

The session, with Julie Snell as first speaker, showcased the Centre’s latest achievements such as the Innovation Challenge and its outputs, the potential of 5G across industries, sectors and benefits from cost reduction or productivity increase and how the Centre supports businesses across Scotland to access this technology via the S5GConnect Programme.  After Julie’s introduction, the Centre’s founding partners each presented on their  breakthrough projects, focusing on where these projects have utilised 5G in research and creating new products and solutions.

The University of Glasgow are developing a 5G-enabled Smart Campus using connected devices, teleoperations where users can remotely control robotics.

The University of Strathclyde are developing cost effective connectivity solutions for remote and/or rural areas and outside broadcasting.

The Scotland 5G Centre invested over £1.9m into the University of Strathclyde’s Rural Project which has generated a return on investment of £2.5m, and over £1.6m into the University of Glasgow’s Urban Project which has generated a return on investment of £29m.

In total, 94 attendees registered for the session – the busiest masterclass of the day!

For more info on the Scotland 5G Centre’s Projects visit: https://scotland5gcentre.org/5g-projects/

Rural 5G solutions increase opportunity for everyone

Published: 26th October 2022

• Orkney trials show viability of locally managed approach to achieve 5G connectivity

Imagine fast, secure, and reliable internet – no matter where you live.   For many rural communities in Scotland struggling to connect to the internet, this is a stretch.  With the knowledge that poor connectivity is no longer acceptable as we rely on it for business enterprise, schooling and connecting with families, on the Orkney Islands, the Scotland 5G Centre rural testbed worked alongside the 5G New Thinking project deploying new 5G technologies to demonstrate that improved mobile coverage, and broadband wireless networks can be implemented by communities and installed, operated, and managed by local providers.

The Scotland 5G Centre project, working alongside the StrathSDR team at University of Strathclyde, and key partners Cisco, and local partners CloudNet IT Solutions and SHEFA, first created a testbed in Loch Lomondside to demonstrate, test, and evaluate new 5G technologies utilising shared spectrum.  Thereafter this technology and know-how was transferred to Orkney where 5G networks were built and deployed, and new operational and community models developed and tested.

Orkney was used as the test case as it provides its own set of unique challenges to connectivity. The cluster of 20 islands stretches over a great distance and sit where the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet.  They have the slowest fixed broadband speed of any local area authority in the UK. Over a quarter of households were unable to achieve the minimum speed to meet an average household’s digital needs – USO speeds of 10mb/s.  100% of residents on half of the islands cannot achieve this minimum, with no prospect of fixed broadband roll-out.

More than 83% of Orkney’s roads also do not have 4G services from all mobile network operators and nearly a quarter of Orkney’s premises have either no 4G service or no choice of operator.

The collaborators on the Orkney trials also demonstrated the viability and engineering required to implement a single mobile network that could provide neutral host support to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband services to the community. The project also looked at ways to offer sufficient capacity for the number of smartphones and handsets and premises across the islands.

The team created two networks in underserved and remote areas in Westray and Flotta using a combination of seven base stations with 20MHz cells working on various available shared and test radio frequency bands.  Where available, backhaul was setup either as microwave and fibre backhaul links, and for future setups, recent tests at the Loch Lomondside testbed indicate the viability of LEO (low earth orbit) satellites, such as Starlink, for backhaul, bringing true ‘middle of nowhere’ 5G networks to reality.

The combined solution also suggests a new localised sharing framework allowing access to vacant parts of the radio spectrum, as well as using the Ofcom designated ‘shared access’ radio frequencies across various mobile bands.

This connectivity afforded by new 5G ecosystems will offer opportunities to encourage partners to invest in and address the needs and aspirations of businesses in rural locations in Scotland. The Orkney project ensures that rural communities will not be left behind as they take advantage of next generation 5G via self-provision and the building of community owned networks.

Ground-Breaking 5G Projects

Published: 13th October 2022

The Scotland 5G Centre is the National Centre for ensuring Scotland realise the game-changing benefits of 5G Technology. Through our national suite of 5G Innovation Hubs (S5GConnect) we provide free advice and expertise to companies and the public sector on private 5G network deployment and access to a private 5G test bed facilities.

We have also invested in ground breaking flagship projects through our partners, that are exemplifying and delivering new 5G enabled opportunities for Scotland,  such as the University of Strathclyde’s Rural Connectivity Developments.

The £1.9 million investment made by the centre to the University of Strathclyde has enabled the University’s StrathSDR team to develop cost effective connectivity solutions for remote and/or rural areas and outside broadcasting

For example, the team have developed a new portable custom private 5G pop-up network solution, bringing new opportunities to rural communities throughout Scotland and supporting a range of industries and services including energy management, fishing and tourism.

From the initial investment, the University has been successful in attracting additional funding and new collaborative partnerships. Recent successes include creating a shared spectrum 5G radio access network on the Orkney, to support the various need of the community – connecting Westray and Flotta to a 5G Cisco Core.

The University team, led by Professor Bob Stewart and its resulting spin out (Neutral Wireless) company have deployed ground-breaking 5G technology to open up new creative and operational opportunities to outside broadcasters. The team have already deployed their technology at various sporting events such as Rugby, Football and Boxing, and Racing – the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, MotoGP, broadcasting to a worldwide audience from a 5G handheld camera.

Most recently the team designed and deployed the pioneering ‘private 5G’ network technology to connect cameras for international broadcast coverage of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s final departure from Scotland.

The historic pictures captured by the University of Strathclyde’s network and beamed across the globe, included footage of the coffin being carried by personnel from The Queen’s Colour Squadron, 63 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment and the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster taking off and carrying Her Late Majesty to RAF Northolt in London.

The pop-up 5G Stand Alone network can be quickly deployed – within 24 hours of the spectrum licence being granted by Ofcom.

In addition to being a world-first for television production, the use of a private 5G standalone at an airport is also believed to be unique.

Traditionally, broadcast cameras connect to the outside broadcast solely using radio signals which rely on proprietary equipment whereas 5G enables a range of cameras and other devices, in a wider range of locations to be potentially used, opening up new creative and operational benefits to broadcasters.

Find out how this ground breaking technology can support you and your business by contacting The Scotland 5G Centre, and discover how your business can benefit from 5G by accessing our national suite of 5G innovation hubs distributed across Scotland by contacting us.

For more information on The Scotland 5G Centre’s 5G Projects visit: https://scotland5gcentre.org/5g-projects/

S5GConnect Dumfries Innovation Challenge Showcase

Published: 10th October 2022

This year, The Scotland 5G Centre launched its first innovation Challenge – “Shaping Digital Health and Social Care” outlining 3 core challenges within the Scottish health and social care sector, with the purpose – of bringing 5G solutions and services into the supply chain, or closer to market realisation helping to overcome these challenges.

As part of the Challenge, each of the winning companies took part in a 15-week development programme; with access to the 5G testbed in Dumfries and one-to-one technical expertise to support technical development.

On 5^th October 2022, the three winning companies presented their 5G-enabled solutions at the S5GConnect Dumfries hub to The Scotland 5G Centre and Challenge Partners, in the closing Innovation Challenge event, marking the end of the 15 weeks accelerator programme.

Safehouse Technology

John Griffiths, Chief Technology Officer at Safehouse Technology explained the journey of the existing Safehouse Monitoring & Anomaly Detection device and how Safehouse 5G was conceived, designed and realised in The Scotland 5G Centre’s Dumfries Hub. With enhanced capabilities and reduced points of failure, Safehouse 5G is the next step in monitoring technology for at-home social care.

Care Reality

Ross Toomer, Founder and Chief Executive of Care Reality and Jake Spreadborough (Lead Developer) showcased how their VR Training Environment for healthcare workers was transformed, by the increased bandwidth and low latency of a Private 5G Network in streaming activity led training content, positioning their software and the advanced network ahead of existing headset technology.

DDM Health

Arjun Panesar, Founding CEO and Head of AI at DDM Health, guided the audience through a precision health experience using the Gro Health App. The Gro Health App is a personalised treatment platform proven to support sustainable weight loss, blood glucose control, and improvements in mental health and wellbeing. Arjun detailed the process of testing this already successful tool in a 5G environment to ensure its readiness and roadmap for the future.

This demonstrates how 5G technology can be applied to different sectors, products and needs and how it enables innovation and use-case development and implementation. In the coming months we will share in further detail outputs and achievements of the companies as part of this programme.

This is a huge milestone for the Centre, for the South of Scotland region and for the aforementioned sectors, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the partners of this Innovation Challenge: NHS Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Care, Dumfries & Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, CGI, AWTG and Urban Foresight.

The three winning companies will continue to receive business and investment advice and introductions to potential customers and ongoing access to S5GConnect business and technical support until March 2023.

5G private network delivers world first live broadcast of Queen’s final departure from Scotland

Published: 7th October 2022

Live footage delivered to broadcasters across the globe

Pioneering ‘private 5G’ network technology designed and deployed by the University of Strathclyde and its spin-out company, Neutral Wireless, was used to connect cameras for international broadcast coverage of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s final departure from Scotland.

In a world first for television production, Strathclyde worked with Glasgow-based outside broadcast specialist QTV, which provided the international broadcast feed.

The historic pictures captured by the network and beamed across the globe, included footage of the coffin being carried by personnel from The Queen’s Colour Squadron, 63 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment and the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster taking off and carrying Her Late Majesty to RAF Northolt in London.

‘Operation Unicorn’ – the codename of the plan for handling Her Late Majesty’s death should she pass away in Scotland – saw the Queen’s coffin transported from Edinburgh Airport to RAF Northolt by air. This created the need for a high-definition, broadcast-capable, wireless solution that avoided the use of cables across the airport runway, whilst mitigating interference and guaranteeing quality of service.

Traditionally, broadcast cameras connect to the outside broadcast solely using radio (RF) signals which rely on proprietary equipment. 5G-enables a range of cameras and other devices, in a wider range of locations to be potentially used, opening up new creative and operational benefits to broadcasters.

Partially funded by the Scottish Government via the Scotland 5G Centre’s Wave 1 Projects, and partnering with the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme that included some of the world’s top broadcasters and technology companies, Neutral Wireless’s pop-up 5G Stand Alone (SA) network was deployed for QTV within 24 hours of the spectrum licence being granted by Ofcom. The use of such a private 5G SA at an airport is also believed to be a first.

Scottish Government Business Minister Ivan McKee said: “The Scottish Government’s £1.9 million investment in the University of Strathclyde’s 5G initiatives via the Scotland 5G Centre has made it possible for this historic occasion to be broadcast to millions of people around the world.

“This demonstrates how new technology can help transform Scotland’s economy and society, by enhancing our global competitiveness, facilitating business growth and driving innovation.”

The technology deployed was trialled and developed through a series of ground-breaking proof-of-concept trials in 2022 as part of IBC’s Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. This IBC Accelerator project has delivered a series of breakthrough experimental broadcast use cases during 2021 and 2022 including several world firsts in remote regions of the world including Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, and live to the IBC show floor from the Highland Games in Pitlochry, Scotland, on September 10th featuring the pioneering rural testbed work with key partner, the Scotland 5G Centre, over the last three years.

Professor Bob Stewart, from Strathclyde, who is head of the University’s Software Defined Radio team, said: “The use of a dedicated 5G private network operating in shared spectrum is believed to be a first for live TV news, broadcast using shared access radio spectrum.

“The network operated live for nine hours with no reported interference due to our network and we were honoured and humbled to be able to play a part at such an important moment.”

Principal and Vice Chancellor of Strathclyde, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, said: “I am proud that the team were able to bring their expertise to bear to help document such a sad and solemn occasion in our history.

“It is deeply impressive that our colleagues applied the Strathclyde ‘can do’ approach to deliver such a professional outcome that meant so much to national and international viewers.”

QTV worked closely with national broadcasters for ‘Operation Unicorn’, which provided a world feed to television channels globally, including content captured over the private 5G network.

Gareth Gordon, CTO at QTV, said: “From the band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland to the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster taking off and carrying Her Late Majesty the Queen from Scotland for the last time, these were breath-taking live pictures broadcast globally from the airport tarmac. The video link on the 5G network wasn’t there as a back-up – it was a live feed to the world.”

Established and funded with £14.5 million by the Scottish Government, the S5GC was a project champion in the IBC project, working alongside key local academic and industry partners, as well as international broadcasting and technology partners.

Julie Snell, Chair of the Scotland 5G Centre Board, said: “It is great to see the technology and know-how engineered and tested in Scotland on the Scotland 5G rural Wave 1 testbed projects come to international prominence right after the successful IBC middle of nowhere demonstrations in four countries.”

Cameron Speirs, Chief Commercial Officer at Neutral Wireless, said: “It is genuinely innovative technology, pioneered in Scotland, and it was because of IBC that we had the proven use cases and dialogue with all the right industry expertise to make it a reality.”

S5GC Partner Celestia UK wins navigation contract from ESA

Published: 4th October 2022

Celestia UK has announced that it has won a €800,000 ESA NAVSIP (Navigation, Innovation and Support Programme) contract to develop an innovative PNT solution based on LEO satellite constellations for 5G networks and applications, that will boost the reliability and performance of GNSS.

Called LEO-SYN+, the project will use LEO satellite Signals of Opportunity (SoOp) to provide a resilient position and time reference for 5G networks and improve the robustness of GNSS signals.

Time and Synchronisation are fundamental building blocks in 5G and GNSS systems play a pivotal role in the network operation.  However, GNSS signals can prove vulnerable to interference, for instance when blocked by objects such as tall buildings or trees, and require augmentation with supplementary technology to deliver the level of reliability and longevity required.

Celestia UK’s solution is to combine the use of LEO satellite constellation signals with the development of a PNT receiver compatible with multi-GNSS constellations and LEO SoOps and test the solution in 5G networks.

During the project, a prototype will be produced to validate the product design and the technology development, paving the way for additional applications of the technology to other critical infrastructures after the initial ESA NAVSIP roll-out.

To deliver the ambitious project, Celestia UK is partnering with Heriot-Watt University who bring extensive knowledge in Satcoms and Digital Signal Processing and The Scotland 5G Centre, the national centre for accelerating the deployment and adoption of 5G and realising its economic and societal potential for Scotland, https://scotland5gcentre.org/.

“It is a great benefit for the business to have won an ESA NAVSIP contract and we are looking forward to collaborating with ESA and our partners to unlock the potential to improve the resilience of 5G networks with our PNT solution,” says Malachy Devlin, CEO of Celestia UK.

“Building on our expertise in high throughput electronic steerable gateways together with the evolution of 5G integrating non terrestrial networks together with the Scotland 5G Centre here on our doorstep, make us well-placed to meet the requirements of this challenging project and deliver a future-proofed solution with scope for considerable future commercial application,” he says.

“The Scotland 5G Centre is currently providing businesses access to 5G services through a national network of innovation hubs, S5GConnect Programme.  It is well known that 5G will support higher data throughput and interactive services through reduced latency. However, 5G will also provide new possibilities for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).  Use of advanced antennas and positioning over satellite will be critical for outdoor applications where precise navigation is essential to meet safety requirements for the likes of drone navigation and autonomous vehicles.  We are delighted to be working alongside Celestia UK, supporting the innovative LEO-SYN+ project, which will utilise our cutting edge 5G network,” says Ian Sharp, Head of Business Development, The Scotland 5G Centre.

Note: NAVSIP is an ESA programme and the Contract was carried out under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency. Disclaimer:  The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency.

The Scotland 5G Centre Launches S5GConnect Forth Valley 5G Testbed

Published: 29th September 2022

The Scotland 5G Centre and BT are transforming the future of the workspace and delivering ‘greener’ options for Scottish industry

• The Scotland 5G Centre launch 5G hub and testbed at Forth Valley College’s Alloa Campus,
• The 5G Testbed is live, accessible and open to the market to support the creation and acceleration of the application of new 5G-enabled uses, across key sectors such as industry and environmental monitoring, transport and logistics and manufacturing.

The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) and BT, have completed the installation of a dedicated 5G Mobile Private Network at S5GConnect Forth Valley – The Centre’s 5G innovation hub covering Central Scotland. The hub and testbed based at Forth Valley’s Alloa Campus is now officially open to the public following a launch event where businesses and members of the local community were able to participate in 5G-enabled demonstrations.

As part of the launch event, BT, together with its innovation partners Librestream and Cradlepoint, demonstrated two innovative use cases which have been developed for manufacturing, providing ‘hands on’ demonstrations of real-time, high-quality collaboration between geographically dispersed locations.   Using augmented reality software, remote users are able work together – reducing the environmental impact of unnecessary travel and improving the delivery rates of projects thereby reducing waste. This revolution will increase efficiency, reduce costs, and support organisation in reaching net zero.

S5GConnect Forth Valley offers advice and access to a cutting-edge 5G mobile private network providing an opportunity for SME’s, start-ups and researchers to test new 5G-enabled products, services and solutions.

Working with partners at Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC), an initiative led by the University of Stirling funded through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, and Clackmannanshire Council, the Forth Valley hub is creating a focal point for organisations in the environmental, transport, and manufacturing sectors, to learn, collaborate and innovate.

Tom Marchbanks, Business Engagement Manager, S5GConnect Forth Valley Hub said: “S5GC is excited to be launching our regional hub here in Alloa and we look forward to supporting local companies with a knowledge hub and innovation centre where companies can test, design and prototype leading edge goods and services for the rapidly emerging industrial 5G era.

“The Forth Valley Hub, will help individual organisations, run trials on the test bed infrastructure and understand the benefits of 5G in addition to receiving support as they deploy their own private networks. We also look forward to working alongside our partners here in Forth Valley, Scotland International Environment Centre to help companies understand the advantage that next generation connectivity solutions can provide in delivering leaner, cleaner and more cost-effective operations.”

Alan Lees, Scotland Director for BT Enterprise: “BT are delighted to partner with the Scotland 5G Centre in launching this new 5G hub in the Forth Valley. Having confidence in your connectivity opens up incredible opportunities to transform services and outcomes in Scotland, and 5G is a key part of that.  BT were the first to launch 5G in Scotland in 2019 and we’ve been growing our coverage ever since. 5G arrived in Stirling in 2020 and EE continues to improve coverage in the area. Working with The Scotland 5G Centre, this hub in the Forth Valley is a showcase of what 5G can deliver, to the rest of Scotland and the UK.”

John Rogers, Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Business Engagement at the University of Stirling, said: “Through Scotland’s International Environment Centre, the University of Stirling is developing novel responses to the climate emergency, helping Scotland to make a just transition to becoming Net Zero by 2045.  We’re pleased to partner on this exciting initiative, which will provide a sound, digital foundation to the regional-scale innovations that we are pioneering in collaboration with industry, public services and communities across the Forth Valley.”

Digital twin technology set to transform training in the care sector in Scotland

Published: 27th September 2022

• The Scotland 5G Centre’s Innovation Challenge winner to introduce a simulated learning platform to care sector partners in Dumfries and Galloway.
• Rural and remote workers get the opportunity to train in real situations to level the training playing field.
• The low latency, speed and capacity of 5G will transform the learning experience offered by Care Reality.

Training in the care sector in Dumfries and Galloway is set to be transformed after a winner of the Scotland 5G Centre’s first Innovation Challenge has introduced digital twin technology, which uses a real-time digital model of a care home.  Plans are also in place to roll out this revolutionary new technology right across Scotland.

The Dumfries-based company Care Reality has developed a virtual reality and simulated learning platform to improve the quality and access of clinical skills and competence training for care professionals. The company is working with the Scotland 5G Centre and supported by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) to showcase the idea to Scottish Care and NHS Dumfries & Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership. The software designers, all with healthcare experience, will also listen to feedback to ensure the ‘digital twin’ includes interventions reflecting what users need to support them in their valuable work.

The digital twin approach allows educators to help learners test scenarios before trying them in real-life situations or environments. Care professionals can move around the home and practice interactions and procedures with avatars within the application. The scenarios are dynamic and in real-time and will relate to what participants are learning, for example, educators who are training people on catheter changes can create a scenario for completion within the simulation.

As well as practice opportunities to build confidence, the platform also provides meeting zones for learners to share experiences. Care Reality’s innovative platform also creates the opportunity for hosting virtual training events.  With its large rural area and many remote towns, Dumfries and Galloway provides a potential marketplace for the new technology.

Care Reality is an SME working with the team at Scotland 5G Centre at its hub in the Crichton Centre in Dumfries to accelerate the adoption of its immersive training platform.  The low latency, speed and capacity for data available from 5G will allow the team to explore further developments and get the solution market ready.

Ross Toomer, Chief Executive of Care Reality, said:

“5G remote data-streaming will enable a new level of realism and high fidelity within a standalone VR headset regardless of the user’s physical location. This brings huge potential for educators who have found it expensive and logistically very difficult to provide training to large numbers of people over a large geographical area. 

“Our new idea enables us to improve patient outcomes through better training and assessment via increased adoption of immersive technology.  Digital twins are already commonplace in engineering and manufacturing, but the health sector is now beginning to see how beneficial it is to apply the same principles to the medical world.”

Andrew Todman, Business Development Manager, S5G Connect Dumfries, said:

“Data-driven technology has the ability to transform healthcare practices, and this digital twin model put forward by Care Reality is new to the sector. I am pleased to see it is being piloted in Dumfries and Galloway.   We are working alongside the team to introduce them to the right people.  We are also using our expertise at the testbed to help Care Reality better understand the potential for data streaming. 

“We hope to help the team get its products market ready to ultimately improve health and social care delivery.”