Josh Turpin, Programme Manager – Telecoms and Net Zero at techUK, identifies the gaps in the UK’s current digital infrastructure, outlining the improvements needed to accelerate its digital offerings and compete on a global scale.
The UK stands at a pivotal moment in its digital evolution. Ranked 18th globally in the 2024 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Rankings and having moved up two places, the UK has much more to do compared to its global counterparts.
This year, Advanced Connectivity Technologies (a government term for all things telecoms) have been identified as one of the UK’s frontier technologies with the greatest growth potential in the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, underpinning the nation’s Industrial Strategy. The stakes here are high: according to AWS, by 2030, digitalisation enabled by AI could contribute up to £520bn to the UK economy, but only if we invest in the networks that power it. It’s not all about AI of course, but, given the government’s emphasis in this sector with the likes of AI Growth Zones, a lack of preparedness regarding telecoms networks is foolhardy.
As the UK continues to work on its 5G deployment whilst simultaneously preparing for 6G, the decisions made today will determine the country’s competitive position in the global digital economy for decades to come.
Beyond simple deployment
The UK’s 5G journey has moved well beyond initial rollout to demonstrate real-world innovation and impact through the likes of the 5G testbeds and trials and innovation regions across the country. These initiatives have supported practical use cases spanning sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and transport, showing the technology’s transformative potential across the entire economy and how we live our lives.
A strong innovation ecosystem underpins this progress. Testbeds and living labs provide opportunities for businesses, particularly SMEs, to experiment with 5G capabilities before committing to full deployment. Academic-industry partnerships are accelerating use case development and ensuring research translates into commercial applications. The establishment of facilities like Digital Catapult’s SONIC Labs has positioned the UK as a leader in Open RAN testing and integration, attracting international companies whilst building domestic capabilities.
In addition, private 5G networks are proving particularly valuable in specific sectors, offering dedicated capacity and enhanced security for industrial applications. The focus on maintaining and strengthening domestic supply chains whilst developing these capabilities is building long-term strategic advantage and export opportunities for the balance of payments.
Unfinished business
Despite this progress, significant barriers to full 5G adoption remain. The slow deployment of 5G standalone networks, which deliver the enhancements necessary for vertical industry adoption that were core to the 5G promise, continues to hold back potential. In addition, the Shared Rural Network, an initiative run by the three mobile network operators (MNOs) to deliver 4G to rural and hard-to-reach areas, is still in progress. Concerns around return on investment, misunderstandings about what 5G can deliver, and security considerations create hesitation, particularly among smaller enterprises. Integration challenges with legacy systems add further complexity to an already muddied field for business.
Infrastructure gaps persist, with urban-rural connectivity divides, indoor coverage quality variations, and dependencies on fibre backhaul and wider infrastructure requiring ongoing investment. The business case for comprehensive rollout, particularly in less commercially attractive areas, remains challenging. We are also in a period of consolidation for the alt-nets that are driving gigabit broadband networks across the country, causing concern for the long-term sustainability of the market.
Perhaps most critically, there continues to be a pressing need for expertise in the likes of network integration and cybersecurity. A significant skills deficit exists to meet future workforce demands, particularly as we face the challenge of an ageing workforce both in the sector and beyond.
Project 6G
As these 5G challenges are addressed, the 6G timeline is already taking shape per the International Telecommunications Union’s target of 2030. The UK is also positioning itself within the international effort to define next-generation connectivity – but the proof will be in the rollout pudding. We know the UK’s strength in research, but, to remain competitive, we must not be left behind in implementation.
The anticipated capabilities of 6G extend well beyond incremental improvements. Enhanced speed, capacity, and latency will support advances in robotics and extended reality, whilst AI will be fully integrated into networks, enabling self-learning and management. The shift from hardware to software through virtualisation will continue, reducing costs and improving adaptability.
The UK Government’s 6G vision emphasises interoperability, security by design, sustainability, and accessibility. Its ambition is to incorporate multiple technologies, create trusted networks, achieve energy efficiency and connect terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks to extend coverage regardless of geography.
Securing digital leadership
The UK has established strong foundations through sustained innovation projects, world-class research partnerships, and strategic investments. The progress in 5G deployment demonstrates both a fair level of capability and ambition, whilst early positioning in 6G research and standardisation shows foresight. However, the global race for digital infrastructure leadership is intensifying. Countries that lead in 6G will not merely be early adopters; they will shape the standards, influence the architecture, and capture disproportionate economic benefits.
The next five years are critical. Addressing remaining 5G adoption barriers quickly whilst simultaneously investing in 6G research and development requires focus and resources. Building the skills pipeline, maintaining research momentum, and ensuring co-ordination between all stakeholders will determine whether the UK can move up in global digital competitiveness rankings to become a top-tier digital economy. The infrastructure decisions that we make over the next few years will shape our economic performance for years to come, making this moment one of both challenge and extraordinary opportunity for the UK to take the lead.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 24th edition of our quarterly publication.
