Telecoms Unit: Case Study
Telecoms Unit
CASE STUDY
Glasgow City Council Telecoms Unit works with industry to attract and accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city.
Digital connectivity is vital to supporting our economy and connecting the City's residents, businesses, and communities. Glasgow City Council appointed a dedicated Telecoms Unit in 2020 to work with industry to facilitate digital infrastructure investment and deployment in the area.
The Glasgow Telecoms Unit (a first in Scotland) is a single point of entry for industry to the City Council. It provides a source of information for any queries from the telecoms industry to encourage and attract investment in connectivity. The aim is to accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city and ensure compliance to legislation and guidance, such as the Electronic Communications Code.
Glasgow City Council Telecoms Unit works with industry to attract and accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city.
Digital connectivity is vital to supporting our economy and connecting the City's residents, businesses, and communities. Glasgow City Council appointed a dedicated Telecoms Unit in 2020 to work with industry to facilitate digital infrastructure investment and deployment in the area.
The Glasgow Telecoms Unit (a first in Scotland) is a single point of entry for industry to the City Council. It provides a source of information for any queries from the telecoms industry to encourage and attract investment in connectivity. The aim is to accelerate digital infrastructure investment in the city and ensure compliance to legislation and guidance, such as the Electronic Communications Code.
The Unit has a web portal interface which provides the necessary information to the industry. The portal provides access to our asset catalogue, with all assets that are relevant to digital infrastructure deployment and data layers that can be downloaded onto the industry’s own data systems. Template legal agreements for accessing council assets are also available for download from the portal, along with fee structures and standard pricing.
By mapping and simplifying all Council processes relating to the telecoms industry, the Council has improved internal efficiency and reduced time to market for Mobile Network Operators and other infrastructure providers. The Unit has supported Glasgow City Council to establish strategic relationships with a range of connectivity providers and encourage investment in its infrastructure.
Glasgow was one of the first UK cities to have signed agreements for the deployment of small cells, which will improve capacity of 4G and 5G networks across the city.
The Unit has a web portal interface which provides the necessary information to the industry. The portal provides access to our asset catalogue, with all assets that are relevant to digital infrastructure deployment and data layers that can be downloaded onto the industry’s own data systems. Template legal agreements for accessing council assets are also available for download from the portal, along with fee structures and standard pricing.
By mapping and simplifying all Council processes relating to the telecoms industry, the Council has improved internal efficiency and reduced time to market for Mobile Network Operators and other infrastructure providers. The Unit has supported Glasgow City Council to establish strategic relationships with a range of connectivity providers and encourage investment in its infrastructure.
Glasgow was one of the first UK cities to have signed agreements for the deployment of small cells, which will improve capacity of 4G and 5G networks across the city.
The Unit has worked with operators to make use of grass verges for streetwork sites where adopted pavements are not an option. Moving the installation off the pavement onto the adjacent grass verge reduces clutter and avoids underground cables and pipes. Another first for the industry.
By working closely with colleagues in Planning, Property, Legal, Lighting and Roads Departments, the Telecoms Unit ensures that the Council is providing the necessary support to industry on their investment. The Unit has extended its support to other city organisations and neighbouring local authorities, allowing them to benefit from Glasgow’s lessons learned.
This enhanced environment supports infrastructure planning and deployment in a comparatively more efficient and coherent model than before.
The value of the work by Glasgow has been recognised by industry and local and national governments. Industry has recognised that Glasgow is easy to work with and as a result more operators are choosing to come to Glasgow to invest in digital connectivity. This has led to an increased level of infrastructure deployment creating connectivity for citizens, services and businesses across Glasgow.
The Unit has worked with operators to make use of grass verges for streetwork sites where adopted pavements are not an option. Moving the installation off the pavement onto the adjacent grass verge reduces clutter and avoids underground cables and pipes. Another first for the industry.
By working closely with colleagues in Planning, Property, Legal, Lighting and Roads Departments, the Telecoms Unit ensures that the Council is providing the necessary support to industry on their investment. The Unit has extended its support to other city organisations and neighbouring local authorities, allowing them to benefit from Glasgow’s lessons learned.
This enhanced environment supports infrastructure planning and deployment in a comparatively more efficient and coherent model than before.
The value of the work by Glasgow has been recognised by industry and local and national governments. Industry has recognised that Glasgow is easy to work with and as a result more operators are choosing to come to Glasgow to invest in digital connectivity. This has led to an increased level of infrastructure deployment creating connectivity for citizens, services and businesses across Glasgow.