Issue - meetings

[To consider the attached report which was received by Cabinet on 22 January 2020 on the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy. The decision by Cabinet was, “that the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy be approved”]. 

[A presentation will also be given]. 

The Digital Innovation Champion, Councillor Beverley Momenabadi gave a presentation to the Panel on the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy.  She commented that the Council was committed to future proofing the Digital Infrastructure within the City.  One of the ways to do this was through the rollout of full fibre.  She spoke about bringing 5G to the City, which operated at a speed ten times quicker than 4G.  5G had the potential to deliver services more efficiently.  The demand for greater digital connectivity was accelerating.  She cited the example of businesses increasingly using the software package, Microsoft Teams.  This package had the ability to allow you to connect to colleagues in a different way.  It had an instant messaging service and could facilitate conference and video calls, which meant less in person meetings were needed.  5G would allow more mobility for businesses and using a package like Microsoft Teams could transform the way a business worked.

The Digital Innovation Champion stated that a study had been completed by Regeneris in January 2018.  Their study had predicted that over 15 years full fibre would lead to a £27 million direct impact, £64 million business impact and £58 million of benefits to households in Wolverhampton.  The Council were working closely with West Midlands 5G and developing use cases, exploring how 5G could be used to improve service delivery and productivity through test beds.  Local businesses in the City could benefit through involvement in the test beds and the WM5G application accelerator allowing them to explore the opportunities that 5G could provide to their business.  All four mobile phone network operators had announced the roll-out of 5G in Wolverhampton.  Wolverhampton was the first in the nation to have a 20 metre, 5G Mast.  It was hoped that the digital investment would make Wolverhampton more attractive to big companies to establish themselves in the City. 

The Digital Innovation Champion remarked that they wanted Wolverhampton to become a “Smart City.”  Bristol was currently considered the UK’s leading Smart City.  A short video was shown to the Panel about what Bristol were doing and what Wolverhampton could aspire to in the future.

The Digital Innovation Champion commented that full fibre and 5G offered great opportunities with the traffic management system.  There were also great opportunities in the monitoring of air quality, public safety solutions, the control of street lighting, car parking, smart waste collecting and the monitoring of footfall.  The new smart lamp posts would be able to monitor day light to determine when to turn on.   Wolverhampton Homes would be piloting a Smart Device proof of concept in five homes embracing Internet of Things, which included temperature and humidity sensors, Smart boilers, Smoke and CO2 alarm and energy monitoring.  She outlined the timetable over the next few years for Wolverhampton becoming a Smart City. 

The Digital Innovation Champion described a future opportunity known as 3D Mapping.  This allowed realistic modelling of Wolverhampton allowing a better visualisation of the current environment.   An area where 3D modelling  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5

[To approve Wolverhampton's Digital Infrastructure Strategy supporting the rollout of full fibre broadband and wireless connectivity including 5G]

That the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy be approved.

Councillor Louise Miles presented for adoption the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy to support the rollout of futureproofed digital infrastructure.  The Strategy would deliver benefits to the economy of the city and support the delivery of the Council Plan.

Resolved:

That the Wolverhampton Digital Infrastructure Strategy be approved.