Purpose

 
The County Council leads a
countywide agenda through its Digital Infrastructure Strategy which
recognises that high quality, accessible digital connectivity will
enable the stimulation of inward investment and gain a competitive
advantage that can accelerate innovation and economic growth across
diverse sectors. WSCC is working with the food and drink
agricultural sectors across Sussex to improve their productivity
and economic performance by co-developing foundational technology
(e.g. 5G and Artificial Intelligence) use cases with telecoms and
technology partners, education centres and commercial
producers.
 
The government’s Department
for Science, Information and Technology (DSIT) ran a competition to
award 10 ‘5G Regional Innovation Zones’ and WSCC led a
bid to form the ‘Growing Sussex 5G Innovation Region’.
DSIT announced the region as a winner on 14.9.23. The Digital
Infrastructure Team is now leading the project which will deliver
5G/advanced wireless connectivity to two agricultural colleges
(Brinsbury and Plumpton) and two
commercial growing sites. The project will deploy foundational
technologies against use cases identified as means to improve
growing practices, increasing sustainable production, realising
efficiencies and reducing carbon.
 
A telecommunications
supplier(s) is required to deliver the connectivity solutions and a
procurement process needs to be taken forward.
 

Decision

The Cabinet Member
for Support Services and Economic Development has:
(1) Endorsed use of funding for the 5g Innovation
Region project as set out at Paragraph 2 in the report and the
commencement of a procurement process to select a supplier to lead
the implementation and deployment of the project; and
(2) delegated authority to the Director of Place
Services to award the contract(s), subject to confirmation from
DSIT of the grant award. A further key decision report will be
published concerning contract awards as appropriate.