TfL Ref: 1304-1920

Thank you for your request received by us on 1 August 2019 asking for information about the implementation of 5G technology.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:

1. Are you involved with supporting London's 5G rollout strategy?

Transport for London (TfL) is in the process of awarding a telecoms concession. The concessionaire will be required to develop two service lines that are relevant to this enquiry.

The first service line is to deliver LTE (Long Term Evolution; a standard for 4G wireless broadband technology) services throughout the below-ground sections of the London Underground. TfL does not stipulate that these services should be 5G but require that the Concessionaire delivers services that the mobile network operators are willing to pay for, so if there is demand (and a willingness to pay accordingly) for these services, the Concessionaire will deliver.

The second service is the commercialisation of TfL’s streetscape assets such as lampposts. One of the potential use cases is to use TfL’s streetscape assets to deploy 5G small cells. Again, it will be for the Concessionaire to produce a commercial offering that is interesting to potential customers.

2. How many employees at your organisation are responsible for telecoms infrastructure?

TfL outsources responsibility for the delivery and management of the majority of its telecoms infrastructure. We have limited resources internally whose primary function is supplier management.

3. How many employees at your organisation are responsible for 5G?

We do not have any specific employees responsible for 5G.

4. What is the current budget allocation for implementing 5G technology in 2019?

We do not have any budget allocated for this.

5. What is the anticipated date for full 5G coverage in your organisation?

We have no plans for this. As mentioned previously, we outsource provision of our telecommunications services so will take advantage of them as/when the mobile network operator starts delivering.

6. Does a particular employee have ownership of 5G? If yes, who?

We have a Senior Product Manager who is responsible for TfL’s wireless communications strategy. As part of this, the individual is responsible for keeping abreast of the UK mobile network operator’s approach to 5G and identifying potential use cases for TfL.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London