Rollout of 5G could save taxpayers £580m a year helping keep leisure centres & hospitals afloat

THE roll out of 5G could save the Government and local councils £580m of taxpayer money per year, according to economic modelling.

Deploying the cellular technology to public buildings nationwide could reduce energy consumption by 17 per cent.

5G enables smart sensors to reliably control heat and light consumption depending on when rooms are being used, which can drastically increase energy efficiency.

The technology can also be used for diagnostics and predictive maintenance, helping to reduce breakdowns and repair costs.

Modelling conducted by WPI Strategy for Vodafone UK analysed public buildings such as schools, hospitals, libraries, police stations and town halls.

In an average town, 5G-powered technologies could save the local leisure centre £42,500 a year and would save the local hospital over £153,000 in annual energy bills – but these savings could only be enjoyed nationwide on a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network.

The findings come after research of 2,000 adults revealed 92 per cent are worried about the future of their local facilities.

And 77 per cent have already seen buildings like swimming pools, libraries and even schools close due to lack of council funds.

This is despite paying an average of £186 each in council tax each month – with 1,000 public swimming pools closing since 2010 alone.

Andrea Doná, chief network officer at Vodafone UK, which commissioned the research, said: “With rising costs and constrained budgets, councils across the UK are feeling the squeeze and communities are suffering as a consequence.

“We believe that a best-in-class 5G network could provide a much-needed economic boost to the public purse, saving £580 million of taxpayer money.

“Public buildings are pillars of the community, and we want to propel them into the future – which is why, as part of our proposed combination with Three UK, we have committed to rolling out 5G Standalone to every school and hospital across the nation by 2030.”

Other ways tech will help councils cut down spending is by utilising ‘Digital Twins’ – a virtual representation of a building that allows engineers to study them in detail, examining where efficiencies can be made.

These digital models can help predict faults, and ensure issues are dealt with much more quickly if they were to occur in real life.

The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) is also set to be used for diagnostics and predictive maintenance, helping to reduce breakdowns and maintenance costs.

IoT benefits from 5G SA with its potential to receive and action thousands of data points in real-time without the risk of interruption and overload that comes with standard 4G or 5G.

The OnePoll.com research went on to find Brits believe GP surgeries are the most important public buildings, selected by 50 per cent of respondents.

Four in 10 picked schools, while 36 per cent believe libraries are the most vital spaces, and 30 per cent opted for leisure centres.

In fact, over half (57 per cent) say public buildings bring their community together in a positive way.

Vodafone’s spokesperson added: "Councils should look to technological innovations to make the most efficient use of their existing space and maximise cost savings.”