The UK is investing £88m in research and development projects in the connectivity and telecoms sector to ensure the country is not “overly reliant on any one form of technology”, the government has announced. 

The funding will be awarded to 19 projects through the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition. The initiatives were designed to develop and demonstrate Open Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions that could improve the connectivity in places with some of the biggest demand on mobile services, such as cities, airports and stadiums. 

The chosen projects include iconic sports and entertainment venues such as Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, the National eSport Arena, the Cambridge Corn Exchange and Shelsley Walsh motorsport venue.  

Other winning initiatives are trials of open 5G networks in major urban centres (Glasgow, Cambridge, Liverpool, Bath and the City of London) and the seaside resorts of Blackpool and Worthing...