As the digital world advances, telecoms will play a key role as the UK looks to innovate and modernise. With a commitment to deliver gigabit-capable, reliable, and far-reaching digital infrastructure, the UK government aims to ensure that high-quality connectivity is available nationwide. This is expected to spark substantial improvements across key sectors and reinforce advancements across multiple industries.
Central to the success of these efforts, however, is the industry’s ability to better harness location data.
Location: a foundational resource for telecoms infrastructure projects
Location data is a powerful tool. If something didn’t exist yesterday needs to tomorrow, there is a very good chance we will need to know where it will exist, how, and if anything is going to get in the way or cause a problem later down the line. In a nutshell, that is why location data is the foundation from which a network, and ultimately our broadband connections are created. This data underpins strategic decision making from the high-level design of a network to the physical build, through to its ongoing maintenance, crucially ensuring that the network stays operational and field teams stay safe.
Our government’s ambition to improve the country’s digital connectivity is being fulfilled by ‘Project Gigabit’—a flagship programme to enable hard-to-reach communities in the UK access gigabit broadband. The project has provided a significant contribution to the gigabit broadband expansion in the UK and this year coverage has surged to 81% nationwide. However crucial to its success has been an understanding of ‘where’. Where people that want to be connected are, and where the infrastructure and assets need to be installed to make that happen.
Removing blockers for UK 5G
The effective rollout of 5G faces a particular challenge from a location standpoint. A 5G network relies on radio waves passing from a central point or source to lots of smaller points. This is easier than it sounds as 5G radio waves can be sensitive to blockers that get in the way, such as imposing buildings and trees, or even high-sided vehicles crossing a bridge.
An understanding of not just where assets and network are, but features in the surrounding area, is crucial to ensure the resulting network operates as it should, and people stay connected. The added complexity is that these features can change over time, which means it’s essential that telecoms providers have access to regularly updated location data to mitigate from any potential disruption to service.
Location as the fabric of good customer experiences
Richer and more robust data also gives internet service and network providers the clear picture they need to manage their customers more effectively. Providers will need to not only manage existing customer addresses, but also have an easy and reliable way to capture and cross-reference new customer data. This is particularly the case with One Touch Switching now in play, which is designed to make it easier for customers to switch providers.
To meet the requirements, internet providers must consider going beyond holding databases of addresses and instead use a trusted reference such as Unique Property Reference Numbers. Each property is assigned a UPRN, which in turn relates to exact X and Y coordinates on a geographical map. Using these reference numbers instead of addresses removes any human error in addressing and creates a way to not only know exactly where a property is, with no ambiguity, but also a way to cross-reference details on existing customers with new ones. Having these foundations in place will help to make switching more seamless.
Location as reliable tool to hold up to scrutiny
Right now, many companies are still feeling the effects of inflation, network providers particularly hit hard with rising materials and labour costs. As a result, business plans to further expand networks have come under increased scrutiny. Scrutiny that requires clear, reliable data to inform executive leadership and investors of the true risk and reward of any new infrastructure project they may invest in.
Location data is the invisible fabric of modern Britain. This reliable and robust data is shaping crucial decisions in the telecoms sector, not only supporting companies in the present but also driving future progress. Ordnance Survey is the Geospatial authority of Great Britain, and it is our duty to ensure the power of location data can be unlocked to empower the successful advancement of technologies for the nation. As such, we are supporting UK and international organisations to strategically plan and mitigate risks in an ever-changing environment and deliver the right first-time approach when it comes to building a fixed or wireless network. Better data drives better decisions.
Tom Stabb is Telecoms Lead at Ordnance Survey
The post Why future connectivity depends on location data appeared first on UKTN.
