5G Enabled Road Sensing Project

Tender description

The purpose of this project is to expand and upgrade the current coverage of the road network sensors used by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in order to collate data on transport habits across the West Midlands and in particular the Key Route Network (https://www.tfwm.org.uk/strategy/network-resilience/congestion-management-plan/key-route-network/). Such data will benefit from the region's 5G network and be used to facilitate better real time planning of the region's road network, resulting in a safer, more efficient, well maintained and managed network. In addition, such data can in turn be exploited in separately generated tools and applications delivered outside this project. The project will develop or add to an existing data engine which will surface the data generated through the sensors in a scalable and user defined way to the support a range of applications, from operational, tactical, strategic, forecasting, and third party distribution. Lot 1: The supplier will be required to, in a collaborative manner, design, supply, install and deliver the required 5G road network sensors (estimated to be around 280 sensors across the KRN, although WMCA reserves the right to amend the quantity at a later date within the parameters of the tender submission) in order to unlock new data driven capabilities which can enable better outcomes for economic, environmental and societal policy agendas, including unlocking potential new mobility business models and services which rely on accurate network intelligence. Such works/services provided by the supplier shall be required to (a) provide the opportunity to test new capabilities provided through 5G communications, in particular benefits resulting from increased reliability, speed and low latency in the sharing of data in comparison with traditional fibre network, MESH technology; and 4G communications; (b) be secure; (c) be operationally robust and efficient; (d) be future proofed with both 5G and transport networks in mind; and (e) be as cost effective as possible . This will inform future investment decisions as well as helping ‘pull’ the faster deployment of commercial 5G across the region – so providing a significant set of wider benefits for other potential users of 5G communications within the vicinity of the KRN. WMCA has procured a supplier through an Competitive Procedure with Negotiation Process pursuant to Regulation 29 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 to design, supply, install and deliver the required testbed infrastructure in conjunction with Transport for West Midlands and West Midlands 5G.