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5G RuralDorset last week visited communications technology partner Excelerate at its Cardiff HQ to catch up on progress with this exciting Government-funded project.
5G RuralDorset last week visited communications technology partner Excelerate at its Cardiff HQ to catch up on progress with this exciting Government-funded project.
This ground-breaking project, led by Dorset Council and part-funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme, is aimed at understanding how next-generation connectivity can help people live better, safer and more prosperous lives in rural communities. It includes work on public safety and emergency response communications, which are both Excelerate specialisms. The company also provides high-tech systems integration of data, video and voice via satellite and 4G solutions into most of the Incident Command Vehicles for UK Police, Fire and Ambulance as well as other sectors whilst ensuring optimum connectivity and coverage resilience.
Excelerate Operations Director Bethan Evans took the opportunity to show off the latest in emergency command vehicles, which the company now exports world-wide. Excitingly one of their command vehicles is being supplied to Qatar’s National Ambulance Service as part of the Emergency Preparedness requirements for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Bethan commented
This week we are showcasing examples of what we provide to our mission-critical First Responder customers globally. There’s a two-way benefit to our involvement in the 5G RuralDorset initiative. We bring 19 years of global experience, whereas the work of the project will serve as a catalyst to help us develop newer satellite and 5G connectivity solutions.
Our past, present and future innovations will be crucial to the success of the 5G RuralDorset project which is being undertaken in beautiful and sensitive environments and comes with the connectivity challenges you would expect with remote locations
Excelerate most recently provided a similar command vehicle to act as an emergency communications hub for the Nightingale Hospital in London. This technical knowledge and experience will play a key part in the public safety aspects of the 5G RuralDorset project.
Dorset Council Deputy Leader Peter Wharf remarked:
5G is coming fast, and it is great to see our partner Excelerate innovating in this space and helping to keep people safe and secure in these trying times. The technology that Excelerate provides will be invaluable to the success of the 5G RuralDorset project in Dorset’s very challenging and sensitive environments.
About 5G RuralDorset
5G RuralDorset is a ground-breaking project aimed at understanding how next-generation connectivity can help people live better, safer and more prosperous lives in rural communities, even in environments as sensitive as Dorset’s UNESCO heritage coastline. We aim to show how 5G can make Dorset a better place to live, work and visit.
The research and development project will contribute to the understanding of how 5G can be used to address some specific challenges – public safety, economic growth, food production, and environment – as well as create new opportunities in Dorset and rural communities across the UK.
5G RuralDorset is a consortium led by Dorset Council and includes local, national and international partners. The project is part-funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and is part of its 5G Rural Testbed & Trials programme.
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