The UK Space Agency (UKSA), European Space Agency (ESA), and the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) have called for ideas from companies about how they can use 5G terrestrial and space technology to support the UK’s logistics businesses.
According to the bodies, the need for connected digital networks is increasingly replacing the old physical infrastructure. They said that with the rise of 5G, innovative systems such as the Internet of Things will become more pervasive. The request for ideas is seeking ways to use such technologies creatively in order to make the highly-connected world operate more efficiently.
Commenting on the call for ideas, Catherine Mealing-Jones, Director of Growth at UKSA, said:
“This is a great initiative to show how together we can work to help close the digital divide. Access to constant connectivity regardless of location offers huge benefits.
We’ve seen through the current pandemic, that logistics are vital to keeping the country going and space technology is a key part of making that happen.”
While everyone could see that the world was becoming more digital, an acceleration of the shift occurred in the form of COVID-19. For those lucky enough to retain their jobs, thousands will begin to get used to working from home as the new norm, further highlighting the need for a strong digital infrastructure acting as a backbone of the economy.
Companies that think they can answer the call and could use ground and space 5G technology to support UK logistics should head over to the ESA website where they can find more details about the call for proposals.
