Oxfordshire County Council has announced a partnership with Vodafone to establish and manage a 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile private network (MPN) at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot. This cutting-edge network aims to provide enhanced wireless connectivity to the campus’s technology laboratories, startups, and research institutions, including the European Space Agency’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications.
The private 5G network will deliver high-speed, low-latency, and high-bandwidth connectivity, unlocking the full potential of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. By enabling real-time control of operations and seamless internet protocol traffic handover, such as during voice and video calls, the network will enhance operational efficiency as users move across the campus.
This advancement is expected to empower on-site organisations to address critical challenges in industries like advanced manufacturing, transport logistics, energy, and healthcare. Specialised services made possible by the secure and customisable private network include asset tracking, drone detection, machine-to-machine connectivity, condition monitoring, and augmented and virtual reality applications.
The initiative is part of the UK Government’s 5G Innovation Region programme, with the procurement led by Oxfordshire County Council on behalf of England’s Connected Heartland (ECH). ECH represents five local authorities—Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Central Bedfordshire, and Cambridgeshire—working to accelerate the adoption of advanced wireless technologies across the region.
Council Leader, Councillor Liz Leffman, expressed her optimism about the project:
“With Vodafone supporting the new 5G digital infrastructure, we’re poised to explore the untapped potential of this exciting technology at Harwell, helping some of the most innovative businesses in the UK, based on the campus, to continue to thrive.”
Vodafone, which has previously partnered with the European Space Agency to develop a 5G/6G Hub on the campus, will begin work on the new network in the coming weeks. Once operational, the network will enable the campus to customise performance and connectivity characteristics to meet specific needs, ensuring that businesses and research institutions can access cutting-edge services not feasible on public networks.
The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus continues to position itself as a hub for groundbreaking research and technological innovation, and this 5G MPN initiative marks a significant step in its journey towards a digitally connected future.
