Parallel Wireless is part of 5G Rural First, a UK government funded testbed which aims to help the UK take a leading position in 5G.
Steve Papa, CEO at Parallel Wireless, commented, “Without access to reliable mobile coverage, businesses in rural parts of the UK lack the digital infrastructure that so many others take for granted. Mobile operators currently struggle to see the business case for delivering connectivity to rural parts of the UK, with little ROI generated from connecting sparsely populate areas.
This situation is unlikely to get better unless the economics of the mobile industry change. Mobile operators must move to more efficient, software-based networks to minimise running costs of their current networks. This will give them the capital to extend their current 3G and 4G networks to areas that need it the most. It will also present them with a business case for delivering 5G connectivity later down the line, which has the potential to drive a huge range of new business models for businesses in rural areas.”
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