England’s Connected Heartland Framework - PIN Notice for 5G private network managed service along the East West Railway

On behalf of England’s Connected Heartland 5G Innovation Region (ECH 5GIR), Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) intends to procure a contract for a single Supplier to install and operate a 5G NR Standalone mobile private network managed service along approximately 30km of the East West Rail line between Bicester and Bletchley.

The project aims to deliver high speed mobile connectivity to railway users of all kinds. It aims to improve the commercial sustainability of rail mobile connectivity by providing services from the same infrastructure to trackside neighbours, and to develop the technical and commercial blueprint to extend the model more widely.

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is intended to alert potential bidders to the forthcoming procurement procedure and to outline the current view of the requirements. OCC wishes to engage with potential bidders with the expertise, experience, and innovative solutions to design, build and operate a scalable 5G Standalone mobile private network in a railway setting.

We invite interested parties to review this notice and consider the opportunity to contribute to a project that promises to enhance rural railway connectivity and set a model for similar networks elsewhere in the UK and beyond.