A MAJOR milestone in improved internet access on the Jurassic Coast has been reached as a new network is installed.

The 700 MHz private 5G network has this week been installed to cover a stretch of coastline at Ringstead, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.

The installation supports the Dorset Council-led 5G Rural Dorset project, an £8 million initiative which aims to understand how rural communities could benefit from next generation mobile connectivity.

Last month, project leaders announced they will fit a Lulworth First Responders' vehicle with 5G technology to allow the team to connect to the new network infrastructure which will allow critical data to be transferred to emergency services and improve response time to patients.

Bethan Evans, operations director at Excelerate, which is leading the public safety element of the 5G RuralDorset project, said of the newly installed network: "The testing of the network is a critical point, and this has gone extremely smoothly.

"This is testament to the collaboration and hard work of all the teams involved since the project began. This testing proved to be a major milestone in how 5G can, and will continue to, play an integral role in improving public safety.

Dorset Echo: Coverage map Picture: Dorset CouncilCoverage map Picture: Dorset Council

"We are used to leading on large-scale and often bespoke, complex projects and really enjoy working with the other partners to deliver this ground-breaking project together.

"I'm excited about deploying the use cases in the next few weeks and have no doubt they will be as successful as the recently announced use case for Lulworth First Responders, which is paving the way for first responders to connect to the 5G network at incidents."

Alongside Dorset Council and Excelerate, technology companies Neutral Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult are helping to deliver the project.

Kieran Arnold, director of ubiquitous connectivity at Satellite Applications Catapult, said: "The first real world use of this 700MHz 5G network is a major milestone for the project as well as for the wider connectivity community.

"It allows us to provide much needed communications across hard-to-serve regions of the UK and to demonstrate some of the many services that are now a possibility, from connecting emergency responders to improving safety features across beaches and coasts.

"We are delighted to be enabling such innovations and working alongside Dorset Council and other fantastic partners to explore the possibilities that 5G can bring to rural Dorset."