Project

Milton Keynes 5G Create

Using 5G technology to support a major international sporting and cultural venue.

Connected Places Catapult is working with a high-tech consortium on the MK5G Create project, funded in part by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). MK5G Create builds on the test bed facilities developed in the MK:5G project funded by the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) via its Local Growth Fund programme.

Milton Keynes Council and its partners will use 5G to trial advanced mobility and hospitality logistics at the Stadium MK home of MK Dons, driving research in the field of automation.

The use cases will include three forms of autonomous vehicles, drones, and robots delivering ground-breaking applications illustrating how major venues can operate in the future.

The host site, Stadium MK home of MK Dons, includes a 30,400 seat stadium, 5000 seat indoor arena, 304 bed hotel and 1300 parking spaces. The site also hosts a multiplex cinema, gym complex, restaurants and major retail park.

Project partners

  • Stadium MK
  • Milton Keynes Council
  • BT
  • Smart City Consultancy Limited
  • CityFibre
  • Microsoft
  • ECS
  • Neutral Wireless
  • Aurrigo
  • Imperium Drive
  • Satellite Applications Catapult
  • Connected Places Catapult

The project will install 5G infrastructure to support multiple 5G use cases including:

  • Autonomous vehicles for moving people and goods across the stadium site and wider retail park.
  • Teleoperated vehicles for moving people around the stadium site and the wider area.
  • Autonomous surveillance vehicles and drones for enhancing security on the stadium site.
  • Supporting hotel guest with robot assistants.

As part of the earlier MK:5G project, the MK:5G accelerator programme (concluded in October 2021) provided 10 SMEs with the opportunity to gain access to the 5G infrastructure. this allowed them to explore how 5G technology could be leveraged to improve their technology and product offering.

These SMEs were addressing challenges related to Mobility, Mobility Data, Health and Wellbeing and Energy Data. As well as gaining access to the 5G testbed, the cohort also received business support delivered by True Altitude with the goal of helping their business to scale and grow.

MK5G Create