Last week, the Government announced that the West Midlands has won a UK-wide competition to be the first major national testbed for 5G mobile broadband technology.
Margot James, the Digital Minister, announced that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport will invest £50 million in the project. The West Midlands will put in £25 million, and private investors the remaining £75 million.
This is a huge vote of confidence in our region and a very exciting development. There is plenty of evidence which shows that strong digital connections aren’t just more convenient for local residents, but offer a big boost to employers and businesses too.
Hosting Britain’s very first 5G network will make ours one of the best-connected regions in the UK – and the perfect home for one of our major national broadcasters.
That’s why last week I asked Jeremy Wright QC, the Secretary of State for the Media, whether he agreed with me that this latest announcement has strengthened greatly the case for moving Channel 4’s headquarters to Birmingham.
For too long, the West Midlands has got a raw deal from our television industry. Just last year I told the House of Commons how we receive back only £12.50 in investment for every £145.50 we pay the BBC for the licence fee – that’s less than ten per cent.
As a former BBC journalist myself, I know how much valuable work the Corporation does and acknowledge that it has made efforts to spread production around the country, especially to places such as Cardiff and Manchester.
But it isn’t right that a big, dynamic, and prosperous region such as ours continues to suffer from a serious public broadcasting gap – especially when new projects such as 5G and High Speed Two mean that we’re going to be better connected both to London and the world than ever before.
Last week was also the very first Prime Minister’s Questions since the end of summer recess, and I had the opportunity to speak before the whole House about the tragic stabbings of local mother and daughter Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh outside their home last month.
Theresa May joined me both in sending thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the deceased, and in paying tribute to the police, emergency services, and broader community for their amazing response to this terrible tragedy.
Originally published in the Solihull News, 14/09/18.