INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The first thing you notice about Orkney is how pretty it is
visitors from the Scottish mainland and the cruise ships.The second thing you might observe is the wind
And then you eventually notice how few trees there are to impede the sights
22,000 make it less economically attractive to major providers.Orcadians are aware of how beautiful their home is and value their way of
have been some efforts to improve matters
Thanks to Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), there is 60 per cent superfast broadband coverage, but this is limited to the easiest and most
economically viable parts of Orkney.Areas, including the largest town of Kirkwall, also have 4G coverage
difficult for signals to penetrate the thick walls of Orkney's buildings.There are also significant gaps in service
Local experts believe there are just five cell sites per mobile operator for the entire population and some of the outer islands only really
have 2G, leaving residents unable to access even basic data services.Shona Croy, strategic advisor for renewables and connectivity at Orkney
even difficult to get a technical problem fixed because of the cost and time it takes to get an engineer across from the mainland
resident envy cast envious eyes on the Faroe Islands, a relatively nearby autonomous territory of Denmark with similar geographical traits,
as they are served by a local provider in Faroese Telecom
She believes connectivity will lead to new applications such as IoT-enabled health sensors for the elderly and remote education can
5GRuralFirst, one of a number of government-assisted 5G testbeds designed to identify and test the potential use cases for 5G
In Orkney, 5G is being used to help industries become more efficient, deliver broadcast signals more efficiently, and to promote
tourism.(Image credit: Future)5G potentialOne of the key aims of 5GRuralFirst is to demonstrate that the economics of traditional operator
models aren't appropriate to measure the viability of network construction in rural areas.Partners include local Wireless ISP Cloudnet,
which was built out of a project to deliver white space-based communications services to ships, Cisco and researchers from the University of
Shetland and then the Faroe Islands themselves
The cable has 10 fibres, each with a capacity of 57Gbps, and dotted around the islands are a series of backhaul links.So far, 5G has been
Radio models have been done by students from the university, while Cloudnet managing director Greg Whitton uses his knowledge of the
islands' topography and local community to aid rollout
For example, he might know an ideal hill on which to place a mast or a friendly farmer who will offer his land in exchange for free
5GRuralFirst is using software-based kit from tier two vendors which lowers the cost and allows for the construction of a network that can
For example, it could agree to build a network for one operator or become a neutral host for all four and reach roaming agreements.Most of
what the project wants to achieve would require some flexibility from regulators
there have been more than 3.8 million attempts to join the 5G network from 65,000 devices in the past month
roaming.This in itself could be a commercial opportunity for tour operators and cruise ships
As part of an excursion package, they could sell access to the OpenRoaming network alongside other tourist services
Skara Brae as an example.(Image credit: Future)Industrial boostAlongside tourism, Orkney is host to salmon farms, whisky distilleries and
Local leaders believe if these sectors have survived on Orkney without access to better connectivity then they would be able to thrive with
it.At one wind farm, 5G is being used to record wind speed and weather measurements, automatically shutting down turbines if there is
This real-time information is significantly more accurate than weather forecasts.Councils and locals have invested in wind energy projects
Scottish Sea Farms operates several facilities in Orkney and is using technology to drive efficiencies and reduce the environmental impact
of salmon farming.5G is connecting solar-powered devices that monitor PH level, dissolved oxygen, and temperature
The sensors send reports every 10 minutes or so, with packets typically around 65kb in size
Scottish Sea Farms has also added devices onto feeding hoppers to detect any unusual activity
involved with 5GRuralFirst is enthusiastic about what has been achieved on Orkney but the project will eventually come to an end
policies.Residents have also been engaged, most notably through a music track created native composer Erland Cooper
5G-enabled remote microphones collected sounds at each of the industries involved with the trial and Cooper created the composition called
'Tapestry' at his studio in London.To a degree, one aim of the project has already been fulfilled
Earlier this year Ofcom said it wanted to give businesses and rural communities the opportunity to build mobile networks by using licensed
but unused spectrum on a local basis
There is also a suggestion that there could be a more regional approach to regulation in the future.For example, EE could give a community
project in Orkney access to its spectrum in exchange for a roaming agreement
concludes Whitton.rsKgf4257Emc8cZGKCV9yJ.jpg?#
