National communications company start £6.5m Yorkshire project

North Yorkshire is set to become the focus of a £6m connectivity project led by a national communications company.

The Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) project will be led by Quickline Communications, a wireless internet service provider, which is working with the county council.

The project, which has secured £4.5m of funding from the government, will focus on bringing better mobile connectivity to the county, as well as testing how this affects tourism and social isolation, and whether it can act as an early warning system for floods.

The project has also been invested in by a mix of specialist small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the universities of York and Lancaster.

Steve Jagger, chief executive of Quickline Communications, commented: “Quickline’s mission is to use innovation in equipment and approach to bring ubiquitous coverage of high-speed data and associated services across the harder to reach parts of the country.

“We are pleased to be part of a project that shares these values and outcomes and are excited by the opportunity to push the boundaries further.”

Secretary of State for the UK department for digital, culture, media and sport, Oliver Dowden, added: “We’re making sure our rural communities aren’t left behind in the digital age.

“With £4.4 million of UK government funding, this project will help North Yorkshire grasp the opportunities and economic benefits of next generation 5G technology.

“We will learn valuable lessons here, that will benefit the whole country, on how 5G can boost tourism, tackle loneliness, support the emergency services network and detect flooding.”

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