Currently, there is controversy over Ofcom’s decision to allow Everything, Everywhere (EE) to take the lead in rolling out 4G, so it seems strange to talk about 5G; however, there is now a multimillion pound research centre looking into the development of 5G technologies.

While arguments abound about when 4G will be implemented and by whom, it seems the idea of 5G is already on the agenda. A  £35 million research centre is to be built to enable Britain to keep ahead of the competition in the mobile technology world.

The centre will be based at Surrey University in Guildford, which is known to be one of the strongest leaders in mobile technology. With more than 100 countries now operating 4G, the new centre will, it is hoped, give researchers the chance to look at new developments which will help Britain take on the world. At the moment this is not happening, according to some experts.

Professor Rahim Tafazolli, who heads Surrey University’s Centre for Communication Systems Research, said: “There are massive challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The growth in the number of new applications running on the networks is accelerating, as ever more mobile devices become the preferred route for internet access.”

Professor Tafazolli pointed out that when 2G was developed, Britain was at the forefront of this research. In the intervening period, however, the country has been left behind. He feels that given the current economic climate it is imperative for universities such as Surrey to get heavily involved in projects such as 5G before the nation falls even further behind.