Vodafone is to install and manage a 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile private network (MPN) at the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, near Didcot, Oxfordshire, England.

The MPN will enhance wireless 5G connectivity for technology laboratories, start-ups and research institutions based at the campus, by delivering high-speed, low-latency and high-bandwidth wireless connectivity.

The network should unlock the full potential of IoT devices, enabling improved real-time control of production processes. It will also ensure continuous and uninterrupted device connectivity, even when users are moving between buildings, such as during voice and video calls.

The privacy and security offered by the MPN will allow organisations based at the campus, including Siemens and the European Space Agency, to access safely specialised custom services that would not be possible on a public network. This includes M2M connectivity, drone detection, and augmented and virtual reality applications.

The decision by Oxfordshire County Council (www.oxfordshire.gov.uk) to select Vodafone (www.vodafone.com) was made on behalf of England’s Connected Heartland (ECH). As part of the UK government’s 5G Innovation Region programme, ECH (englandsconnectedheartland.co.uk) unites five local authorities – Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire – to accelerate the adoption of advanced wireless technology.

More than 6000 people work at the 700-acre Harwell Science & Innovation Campus (www.harwellcampus.com) in over 240 public and private sector organisations, across sectors including space, clean energy, life sciences and quantum computing.