Borderlands 5G Innovation Programme

The Borderlands 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) Programme is a DSIT-funded initiative bringing advanced wireless connectivity to rural and remote communities across the England–Scotland border, with AWTG serving as the Technology and Delivery Partner.

The Borderlands 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) Programme is a transformative project aimed at demonstrating how 5G and emerging technologies can enhance rural tourism, economic development, and digital inclusion across the cross-border region of northern England and southern Scotland. Funded by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the programme focuses on delivering private 5G networks at carefully selected high-footfall, hard-to-reach sites. Each location was chosen to showcase replicable, commercial use cases for connectivity in rural and industrial environments, including tourism, environmental monitoring, and public transport. AWTG, as the Technology and Delivery Partner, leads the network deployment and application integration at each site.

Project Partners

By integrating advanced wireless technology into real-world rural and tourism settings, Borderlands 5GIR is proving that reliable, high-performance 5G connectivity is not only achievable in hard-to-reach areas but essential for economic resilience, smarter public services, and future-ready infrastructure. The learnings from this programme will directly inform the wider Borderlands Digital Infrastructure Strategy, enabling further innovation and scalable models for rural connectivity across the UK.

Project Status

Deployment is now complete at all five key pilot sites:

The Crook Inn (Destination Tweed) – A historic cultural site enhanced with 5G-enabled mobile applications and visitor engagement tools.

Kielder Castle and Forest – Equipped with IoT sensors for environmental monitoring and a pop-up 5G O-RAN site using satellite backhaul, providing real-time visitor analytics and video streaming at remote observatories.

Stranraer Marina – Supports marina operations with IoT monitoring and live data feeds to improve maintenance and safety.

The Sill at Hadrian’s Wall – Delivers real-time data on visitor numbers, enabling better service planning and site management.

Windermere Ferry – One of the flagship use cases: 5G connectivity now enables real-time ferry telemetry and payment for crossings, improving convenience for passengers and operational insight for operators.

In addition to physical network infrastructure, the project has launched a live mobile application and companion website that aggregates real-time environmental and operational data across the sites. These platforms serve as a digital interface for both visitors and site managers, showcasing the practical impact of 5G on tourism, transport, and sustainability in the Borderlands.