New research for Vodafone UK highlights the substantial cost and energy savings that 5G-powered technologies can bring to public buildings such as schools, hospitals, and leisure centres. Conducted by WPI Strategy, the modelling shows that implementing digital twins, IoT, and smart sensors could save an average town of 40,000 residents up to £350,000 annually on energy bills. Nationwide, these savings could amount to £580 million each year across public buildings.
A poll of 2,000 UK adults revealed widespread concern about the future of local facilities, with 92% expressing worry and 77% already witnessing closures of libraries, leisure centres, and schools due to insufficient council funding. Since 2010, 1,000 swimming pools have closed in England alone.
The funding shortfall also impacts access to essential services, with respondents reporting reduced services at GP surgeries (27%), hospitals (17%), and police stations (20%).
To help local councils and residents better understand the potential of 5G-enabled technologies, Vodafone has created an infographic, ‘The 5G Town’. The power of 5G SA lies in its ability to integrate numerous connected devices and sensors with IoT systems across heating, cooling, and lighting to monitor energy usage and identify efficiencies. For example, IoT combined with motion sensors can accurately measure usage patterns and energy consumption in buildings, enabling precise adjustments.
Innovative technologies like ‘digital twins’—virtual representations of buildings that use real-time sensor data to simulate behaviour and monitor operations—allow engineers to study and optimise buildings remotely, predicting faults and making repairs promptly.
For towns to fully benefit from these advancements, they need the reliability, high capacity, and low latency of a 5G SA network.
Beyond cost savings, these energy efficiencies could help the government reduce carbon emissions by 1.43 million tonnes of CO2e annually, equivalent to the yearly electricity usage of nearly 300,000 homes—more than the entire city of Leeds.
Despite 73% of people recognising the importance of their local authority achieving net zero targets, 66% are unaware of how technology can reduce building energy consumption.
Government targets aim to cut UK carbon emissions by 68% by 2030 and 77% by 2035. Achieving a 17% annual carbon saving in the public estate through 5G-powered technologies could significantly advance these goals. Combined with the government’s recent pledge of £557 million for low carbon heating and energy-saving measures in public buildings, this could represent a major step forward in the UK’s journey towards net zero and help future-proof community assets.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer of Vodafone UK said: “We believe that a best-in-class 5G network would provide a much-needed economic boost to the public purse, saving £580 million of taxpayer money, while also helping to decarbonise the public estate.
“With rising costs and constrained budgets, councils across the UK are feeling the squeeze and communities are suffering as a consequence. We know how important public spaces are to local towns, with over half of people saying they bring the community together in a positive way, so we must protect them.
“Public buildings are critical to communities, and we want to propel them into the future – which is why, as part of our proposed combination with Three UK, we have committed to rolling out 5G Standalone to every school and hospital across the nation by 2030.”
As part of its proposed merger with Three UK, Vodafone UK has pledged to deliver 5G SA to 95% of the population by 2030 and 99% by 2034, reaching every school and hospital by 2030. This initiative aims to provide a significant boost to local communities and support the UK in achieving its net zero targets.
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