FarrPoint Highlights 4G Connectivity Impact on Rural Areas
Over three billion people live and work in rural settings globally. More than one billion work in farming alone, perhaps the most typical countryside job. Yet others reside in non-urban areas for the peace it offers, such as artists, while others work in rural tourism.
In the UK, 12% of rural employment comes from tourism and the Government is investing £25m to improve the quality of rural attractions. One thing to factor in for the best tourist experience, is connectivity.
A new independent study from FarrPoint, a connectivity consultancy, has analysed the socio-economic impact of four EE 4G mobile sites on the rural communities they serve.
FarrPoint report highlights economic and social benefits of 4G in rural communities
Over the past five years, EE has built over 300 new rural mobile sites and upgraded over 1,500 more across the UK, helping it to meet its 4G coverage obligations.
This includes new 4G masts placed to support the growing needs of Britain’s rural communities while having minimal impact on the natural environment. This helps to transform the lives of local people, while also enabling EE to hit its legally binding coverage commitments under the Shared Rural Network (SRN) and deliver 4G coverage to more than 50 isolated communities as part of the Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) project.
FarrPoint is an independent adviser which supports digital connectivity, network infrastructure, 4G, 5G and IoT. Its latest report has shown that reliable mobile signal is helping to transform local industries, with small businesses, freelancers and tourist populations all deriving economic benefits from 4G coverage. There are also obvious social wellbeing and safety benefits from steady mobile connectivity.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, knows that every rural community can benefit from modern mobile connectivity.
“This report provides evidence of how it is helping local businesses grow, supporting rural employment opportunities and enabling more people to experience the benefits of the digital economy,” he said. “That’s why we’re proud to have delivered on the coverage targets we committed to, helping to close the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of 4G connectivity are more widely felt in every corner of the UK.”
Huawei powers rural activities from China to Zambia
Harbin, the capital of the northeast China province of Heilongjiang is experiencing an increase in tourism. In winter, people come to see the ice sculptures and in spring, the blossoms. While the small population is a part of Harbin’s appeal, it has also made it uneconomical to deliver connectivity.
China Mobile, a Huawei partner, has introduced 5G FWA (fixed wireless access), an alternative to fixed fibre broadband.
With the 5G signal available, locals and tourists alike have access to top quality broadband. All that is needed is to plug a CPE (otherwise known as a 5G Wi-Fi router) into the power outlet. The CPE then converts the 5G signal into Wi-Fi. 5G transmits data at a fraction of the per-bit cost of previous wireless technologies. This supports local farmers, who can contact each other more easily, but also offers them access to farming tools, like smart AI-enabled cameras, which watch over farm animals and keep them safe from predators.
Tourists also enjoy the 5G boost, giving them a similar experience to that in the city when they keep in touch with family back home or want to upload pictures of ice sculptures.
Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies and the Government of Zambia have worked together to construct 100 smart villages in rural areas of the country.
The country’s first Smart Village: Muchila, in Namwala District, has a mini-solar grid which powers a school, a clinic and the residences of teachers.
Muchila is also now connected to the rest of the world with a Rural-Star communications tower which provides wireless coverage to residents. This reduces network deployment costs by 50%.
Wang Sheng, the Charge D' Affaires of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Zambia, shared his hope that the project would offer many new benefits to the people of Muchila.
"After completion of the first phase, the Smart Village Project is expected to provide electricity and internet access to 100 villages and create more than 5,000 new jobs,” he said. “It will offer a Chinese solution to four hundred thousand villagers who have limited access to electricity, medical treatment or employment."
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