PRESS RELEASE : UK joins leading nations to form new telecoms coalition and invests £70 million in new future telecoms technologies [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 5 October 2023.

The UK has joined a global coalition to enhance communication network resilience and is investing £70 million in advancing domestic next-gen telecom technology through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund.

The UK is joining forces with leading nations to strengthen coordination on telecoms security, resilience and innovation as a new global coalition is launched today (Thursday 5 October).

Together with Australia, Canada, Japan and the US, the UK will use the coalition to help ensure communications networks can remain resilient and adaptable when confronted with challenges ranging from supply chain disruption to cyber attacks, strengthening the country’s ability to stay connected at the most critical times.

Announced today, the Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT) will also explore opportunities for closer coordination in areas such as research and development, information sharing and international outreach. Through these initiatives the coalition seeks to advance several shared objectives which include promoting growth opportunities for industry and enabling dialogue between policymakers, business, and academia. Read the joint statement here.

Telecommunications networks are critical to the UK economy, and ensuring their resilience and security in a changing and increasingly interconnected world is a priority for the UK government. Telecoms markets are inherently global and by working together with some of the world’s biggest economies, the UK can remain at the forefront of efforts to diversify global telecoms supply chains, develop skills and industry expertise, and strengthen security in the face of potential risks.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

This historic partnership reflects our shared commitment to harnessing the power of telecommunications for the benefit of our nations and the world at large.

Telecommunications networks are the lifeline of global economies, and safeguarding their resilience and security in an evolving, interconnected world is a top priority for our governments.

By joining forces, the UK and our partners are well-positioned to take the lead in broadening supply chains, nurturing industry knowledge, and bolstering security to address emerging challenges.

Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator said:

The critical telecommunications issues of today are global in scope. This groundbreaking coalition will help the U.S. and our partners respond decisively to cross-border opportunities and challenges.

By working ever more closely together, the Coalition members will advance secure, diverse, resilient, and innovative telecommunications networks around the world.

Cementing the UK’s commitment to this vital domestic and international agenda, the UK government is investing an initial £70 million to develop the next generation of telecommunications technology via the Future Telecoms Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Programme.

This investment in new telecom research will help the UK become a leader in 6G technology and beyond – including new technologies to better connect space-based and terrestrial networks, step-changes in capacity/speeds in data transfer and improving energy efficiency of our networks through cloudification. Universities and businesses across the UK are ready to lead projects that bring new, game-changing ideas to the market which could benefit the public by improving internet coverage everywhere, making universal rollout of self-driving cars possible, and using less energy in our growing digital world.

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director, Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI, said:

This £70 million investment will, via the Future Telecoms UKRI Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Programme, form part of  the UK’s contribution to international cooperation in this field and provide tangible benefits to the population and economy.

The UKRI Technology Missions funding is designed to exploit the UK’s global leadership in transformative technologies to help solve specific problems, while also helping to lay the foundations for a longer-term leading position.

In addition, UKRI is investing £250 million through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund to enable new and existing capabilities and capacity in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and engineering biology in the years 2023-2025 and beyond.

University-led Future Telecoms Research Hubs will facilitate early-stage research -boosting the UK’s role in shaping the future of 6G technologies. In addition to the hubs Innovate UK will fund application-focused challenges to accelerate market-ready solutions and foster collaboration in the UK’s telecoms sector. International cooperation across both of these areas, including through the new GCOT partnership, will ensure UK activity shapes global telecoms technologies, upholds our values, and safeguards our security interests. Innovate UK competitions under the Future Telecoms Technology Mission Fund are launching from 6 October.