Comment: 5G – has government learned the lessons of history?

In 1989, mobile phones were not much smaller than house‑bricks. And few people used them. But the UK government, convinced by its advisers that something very important was about to happen in personal communications, took the imaginative step of creating five mobile operator licences, based on new technology which was yet to be designed.

The UK was the first country to do this, and it started a cellular communications revolution in this country which would create an innovative and financially lucrative mobile communications industry. It also helped to create a global company – Vodafone.

Are we prepared for the 5G step-change?

In 2017 the present government hopes to be just as successful with its plans for the next mobile step-change, 5G. It’s a tough ask.

This is now the most competitive of global technology industries, defining leading technologies in microprocessors, battery tech and plastic displays. But the UK government believes it can help give local companies the opportunity to play a leading role in the creation of 5G mobile communications networks.

Part of the plan involves the building of a national network for testing 5G technology to take a lead in the introduction of next generation mobile services. It is capitalising on strong R&D teams that already exist at three universities – King’s College London and the Universities of Surrey and Bristol – and it will give them £16m to develop the 5G test network capable of processing huge amounts of data and supporting applications such as sending virtual reality 3D TV clips to mobile devices.

5G is also about autonomous vehicles and robotics

But 5G will be more than simply another mobile phone standard. It will also have a role in the introduction of autonomous vehicles, robotics, augmented reality and remote surgery. This is why the 5G opportunity is so important, and perhaps the UK government has recognised this.

With this in mind, the government also wants the UK to play a role in designing and making a core semiconductor technology for 5G and IoT wireless communications.

We are seeing public money, already approaching £100m, from central and regional governments being pumped into the Cardiff Semiconductor Cluster. This is developing advanced wafer technology and manufacturing in compound semiconductors which will be used to make the very high frequency (60GHz) radio chips that will be core technologies for 5G communications.

But devices coming out of the Cardiff cluster will also be important for the mobile phone’s OLED display.

Thirty years ago the government’s focus was on the network and services aspects of the mobile revolution. It failed to create a plan for the semiconductor sector. With the exception of ARM, which had little or no help from government in its rise to global glory, the result was that UK chip firms failed woefully to be part of the revolution in wireless communications.

5G could be just the opportunity to resurrect the UK semiconductor industry.

Consultant editor Richard Wilson will write a regular column for Electronics Weekly

UK government puts £16m into next gen comms test network