Sunderland City Council and BAI Communications announce new partnership to create the UK's most advanced smart city

The first phase of the partnership will see a backbone of 5G connectivity, based on a neutral host model, established within the city by Summer 2022. The new high speed 5G coverage will provide a platform for business growth and innovation, supporting the Government's levelling up agenda by bringing substantial social and economic benefits to its residents, businesses and visitors, including the creation of over 100 jobs.

Through the partnership, supported by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and HM Government's Getting Building Fund, Sunderland will be able to scale its advanced smart city plan, allowing the city to be at the forefront of innovation and achieve true global competitiveness. Greater high speed 5G mobile connectivity, which offers much faster response times across the network, will be complemented by other networking technologies to enable Sunderland to deliver transformative digital services for communities and sectors across the City at much greater scale, including:

Patrick Melia, Chief Executive, Sunderland City Council, said: "This is an incredibly significant milestone in the development and future of Sunderland Our Smart City. We are very much looking forward to our 20-year strategic partnership with BAI, as its team helps us realise our ambitions and make our goals a reality. We are confident the benefits of this partnership will reach every resident, organisation and business within our city and indeed the wider area."

Billy D'Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK, said: "Our long-term strategic partnership with Sunderland City Council will completely transform the city, accelerating Sunderland's ambitions to become one of the UK's most advanced smart cities, connecting people, communities and businesses.

"We will leverage the power of 5G and the Internet of Things to establish a network of connectivity which will enhance employment opportunities, business efficiency and growth, helping to secure its prosperous future. Our extensive credentials delivering large-scale connected infrastructure and networking solutions position us perfectly to capitalise on the fast-growing commercial appeal of 5G enterprise solutions and smart city applications."

BAI is a leading global provider of 4G and 5G connected infrastructure. The agreement follows the recent deal announcement with Transport for London, that saw BAI awarded the concession to deliver high-speed mobile connectivity across the capital, building on BAI's significant experience of deploying connectivity in highly dense urban environments across the world, including New York, Toronto and Hong Kong.

For more information please visit the Sunderland Our Smart City or BAI Communications websites.

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About BAI Communications

BAI Communications is a world leader in shared communications infrastructure, pioneering solutions that empower our customers to advance their services, accelerate their networks and amplify their reach in the most efficient and cost-effective ways possible. Having long been at the forefront of network advancement, BAI is harnessing fibre, spearheading the transition from 4G/LTE, accelerating 5G and preparing for 6G – and beyond. We collaborate closely with our customers in MNOs, government, transit, enterprise, broadcasting and venues to realise their communications vision, focusing not just on the immediate future, but on the possibilities that exist over long-term partnerships. Our global operations span Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and in the

United States through BAI Group company, Mobilitie, and majority-owned Transit Wireless. Together, we're creating smarter communities for all.

About Sunderland Our Smart City  

Sunderland City Council's Smart City Plan connects people to places – a decade of social and digital transformation to accelerate city-wide improvements for generations to come.  

The dynamic city Sunderland is place attractive to investors and talented individuals alike. By connecting people and places, our smart city will enable smarter systems and increased opportunities to transform the ways in which we exist for a connected, healthy and vibrant experience for all.  

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