FTI Consulting UK Public Affairs Snapshot: What’s next for Labour’s 5G and 6G ambitions

First, the Government must deal with the here and now. We’ve had five years of 5G – and it is still not a nationwide service. The target for “all populated areas” in the UK to have standalone 5G is 2030 which, in technology terms, is an eternity. And even this is a stretch. A recent survey of parliamentarians conducted by Cluttons and YouGov revealed that an overwhelming majority suspected Britain would not even meet this ambition.

Only time will tell how successful the new government will be in expanding 5G accessibility throughout the country. Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledged to make a renewed push to fulfil the ambition of “full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030” – pointing out that, under the Conservatives, investment into 5G had fallen behind other countries. That implies not only renewed vigour, but more investment – not something that is easily found at present.

Yet a convincing case can be made that the full roll out of 5G, and laying the groundwork for the effective adoption of 6G, will be essential to achieving sustained economic growth. Of equal importance to many newly elected Labour MPs is ensuring that everyone has equal access to fast internet, which is seen as a fundamental tenet to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling digital exclusion.

While not necessarily the ideological driving factor behind the new government’s eye-catching commitments to reform Britain’s planning system, done well this is a policy that could help facilitate the rollout of future digital infrastructure.

It is incumbent on industry to make the case that the foundation of a modern economy comes from continual investment in next-generation communications infrastructure. Labour has set out its intent to bring forward a Planning Reform Bill, and those with a vested interest must now ensure that this is included.

Crucially, what could set 6G apart from its predecessors is its potential to leverage AI for automating and enhancing network operations. To do this, the necessary infrastructure needs to be in place to deal with the data-driven demands that will emerge as a result. The good news is that such preparations promise to help facilitate further growth in adjacent sectors of the economy, bringing wider economic benefits even before the technology itself matures.

The Government has also committed to working with industries to support university spinouts and to introduce more long-term budget planning for R&D institutions – both vital nurturing elements for Britain’s nascent 6G sector.

This commitment is particularly timely, as the University of Sheffield announced the establishment of the first national 6G research facility in July 2024. This facility is designed to serve as a nexus for academia and industry, facilitating research into various facets of 6G radio systems. It is an academic race that Britain must fight to lead on.

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong are developing the world’s first antenna for ultra-secure 6G, while at Cornell University in New York, development is underway of a groundbreaking semiconductor chip that could be used for 6G.

And it is not only on the academic stage that Britain faces international competition. Addressing the more pressing need to grow 5G accessibility, a recently published KPMG report concluded that coverage in this country is behind Germany, the US, China, Japan, Australia and Canada.

It pinned this comparative lack of progress squarely on political choices, highlighting infrastructure and regulatory constraints, investment shortfalls, and policy challenges. As such, it is a full-spectrum suite of policy challenges that the government will have to address in the round if it is to make the headway it envisages.

But ultimately it will be money that talks. In November 2023, the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT announced a $324.5 million R&D plan for 6G technology. Similarly, China plans to commercialise 6G by 2030, having already developed the world’s first field test network. Closer to home, the EU’s Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking recently adopted its third Research & Innovation work programme for 2024 to advance 6G research in Europe, setting aside €129 million in public funding for 6G R&D.

To stay in this race, the government must confront the two-pronged challenge of 5G and 6G rollout during the course of this Parliament. Relegating either to the list of second-term priorities – for 2029 and beyond – will allow international peers to steal a technology advantage that will be almost impossible to claw back.

The first priority is to ensure that the investment needed to meet the 2030 5G accessibility target is not reneged on. That is arguably the easy part. The second priority is to keep Britain firmly in the 6G race, demonstrating to industry that we aspire to lead in future technological advancements. Making this an attractive place for 6G investment is, of course, about good policy, but it is also about demonstrable and near-term public investment.