News

SCONDA To Showcase at 2025 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

Published: 13th January 2025

The SCONDA consortium project, funded by DSIT and led by AWTG  with The Scotland 5G Centre managing its dissemination, will be present at the 2025 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, showcasing the trailblazing SCONDA initiative at Hall 7, Stand 7D67, AWTG will be also at the stand where they will present their core activities and innovative projects. The SCONDA projects deploys the World’s 1^st O-RAN in High Density Demand environment in Glasgow city centre for a major mobile network operator (Three) that is fully integrated to the existing 4G and 5G network.

SCONDA is designed to tackle the specific technical and commercial challenges associated with deploying 5G and Open RAN in areas of high-density demand. This initiative is a part of the Open Network Ecosystem Competition and represents the world’s first integration of Open RAN and Traditional RAN technologies in a complex high density environment. The project highlights AWTG’s key role in various Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) consortiums, where they apply their expertise in Open RAN and AI technology to provide significant economic and social benefits.

In addition to AWTG and the Scotland 5G Centre, the SCONDA project is also backed up with a powerhouse consortium partners, including Three, Freshwave Group, Mavenir, University of Surrey, PI Works, University of Glasgow, and Accenture.

Major event showcases Ayrshire’s 5G vision

Published: 15th November 2024

Business, politicians, academics and a host of industry experts met at an event this week to find out how becoming a 5G Innovation Region will transform Ayrshire.

Last year the region received £3.8million from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) team to become one of ten 5G Innovation Regions across the UK.

The event at Ayrshire College, Kilmarnock, on Thursday featured presentations and panel discussions from a range of 5G Innovation Region partners and esteemed guests including the DSIT, Scottish Government Digital Connectivity Team, and Strategic Technology Partner, Vodafone.

The 5G Innovation Region project is a collaboration between partners –  the three Ayrshire Councils, The Scotland 5G Centre, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, University of the West of Scotland and Ayrshire College – and builds on Ayrshire Growth Deal funding to enhance technology and improve connectivity across the region.

The event helped shine a spotlight on some of the projects and work carried out since the funding was provided.

Attendees were given insights into Ayrshire’s strategic Innovation Hubs approach, which fosters collaboration between industry, academia, and government to drive digital transformation. These three strategic hubs enable local businesses and students to access cutting-edge 5G technology, encouraging experimentation and practical applications across sectors like manufacturing, aerospace, tourism, and education.

Vodafone were recently named a technology partner and they have set up a  Mobile Private Network (MPN) at the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) in Irvine which is helping to provide low cost, energy-efficient digital connectivity to help systems and devices connect with each other.

Working with the University of the West of Scotland, Vodafone have also provided a MPN to support the businesses at the Aerospace Innovation Hub at Prestwick International Aerospace Park.

The conference heard the work being done to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless connectivity to enhance the service they provide.

Tourism is a key sector in Ayrshire and as a 5G Innovation Region, funding will be used to support events and the visitor experience.

Angela Cox, CEO of partners Ayrshire College, also spoke about the work the college are doing to provide immersive learning – a teaching and learning method that uses technology to create an interactive environment for learners to engage with – to connect their students and upskill them making them ready for the digital explosion across the region.

Councillor Martin Dowey, Chair of the Ayrshire Regional Economic Partnership and Leader of South Ayrshire Council, said: “This was the first major showcase we have hosted since the funding was secured. It was great to see the work being carried out across the region and meet with all those involved in this digital revolution.

“A huge thanks to everyone who attended.  We’re excited to build on what we’ve achieved in such a short period of time. Digital innovation is central to Ayrshire’s future, and by working closely with our partners, we’re positioning the region as a leader in digital connectivity.

“We have been working collaboratively with partners for a number of years and digital innovation is very much at the heart of what we do.

“This initiative will bring startups, industry, and academia together with sustainability and Net Zero at its core.”