Satellite Solutions Worldwide Group PLC (SSW) (LON:SAT) has said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quickline Communications Ltd (QL), has been awarded 5G and TV Whitespace Field Trials funded by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The AIM-listed alternative super-fast broadband provider said that QL will be part of a £2.1mln grant-funded project to explore and establish standards for the next generation of 5G fixed wireless broadband services utilising unused TV whitespace spectrum to increase superfast broadband penetration in rural areas.
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The company added that QL expects the project to be neutral regarding underlying earnings (EBITDA) in the current financial year and generate a positive EBITDA of around £100,000 in year two.
SSW said that if the trial goes well, QL will be able to fully deploy the technology commercially alongside its other fixed wireless technologies.
Steve Jagger, managing director of Quickline Communications, said: "We believe superfast TV Whitespace technology will work well alongside our higher capacity wireless to deliver superfast services to very remote areas and properties including locations that our current standard fixed wireless services cannot universally reach”.
He added: "In commercial terms, we believe that helping to develop and utilise this technology will mean that we can increase our ability to connect potential customers who approach us for a connection from 70% of callers to over 90%. This will really increase our network reach as a business as well as improving the ROI of our marketing spend.”