Glasgow City Council has developed a pioneering ‘telecoms unit and portal’ that will work with industry to attract, accelerate and facilitate digital infrastructure investment in the city to support the next generation of 5G connectivity.
The portal – a first in Scotland, which can be found at www.glasgow.gov.uk/telecoms – is a single point of entry for industry, providing a source of information for any queries from the telecoms industry.
The unit and portal were created through the council’s recognition that investment from the telecoms sector is key to its ambitions for digital connectivity across its services and for the city’s residents and businesses – and was developed with the support of the Scottish Government.
It will provide necessary information to the industry, such as the identification and publication of relevant council assets, and data layers can be downloaded from the asset catalogue to complement industry data systems.
The unit will also establish a transparent framework for pricing for access to council assets, streamline internal processes to ease applications from the industry for access to these assets and the deployment of infrastructure, and develop standardised legal documentation to govern such access.
It is hoped the tools will help to accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city and ensure compliance to legislation and guidance, such as the Electronic Communications Code. Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is currently pioneering such an approach as part of a nationwide suite of tools being developed under its new Infralink programme.
Councillor Angus Millar, Chair of the Digital Glasgow Board, said: “Now more than ever, digital connectivity is vital to supporting our economy and helping the city’s residents connect with each other and access public services. The establishment of Glasgow’s new Telecoms Unit and Portal will improve our engagement with the telecoms industry to make it easier for the city to secure investment in crucial digital infrastructure.”
Scotland’s Connectivity Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “5G connectivity presents a significant opportunity for us in the years ahead, especially as we look to build back from the coronavirus pandemic. The Scottish Government’s investment of £400,000 recognises the commitment made by Glasgow City Council (GCC) to facilitate private sector investment in telecoms infrastructure, including 5G, in the city. I welcome this innovative project which fulfils a key commitment in our 2019 5G Strategy, and we look forward to seeing Glasgow reap the benefits. The project complements other activities currently being taken forward by the Scottish Government and the Scotland 5G Centre designed to break down the barriers to telecoms investment in Scotland.”