MW Group is participating in #FullTäckning to enable the development of new innovative ways of securing mobile coverage. Our role is to assist with technical expertise and lead the installations of autonomous base stations and publicly owned cell towers.
In many rural places in Sweden, cellular connectivity is very unreliable or even non-existent. The national objective for the year 2023 is that all Swedes shall have access to stable mobile services of high quality. With the dismantling of copper networks, difficulties to share frequencies, and de-urbanization this is a rapidly growing issue that is causing serious problems for citizens, both in everyday life and in emergency situations.
Also, the economic values created in rural areas are a significant part of many countries’ GDP, since the world largely consists of rural areas. The urban/rural divide is therefore not only a Swedish issue. The project addresses both economic, social, and cultural values that will contribute to lively rural areas. The project’s long-term vision includes attractive rural areas with full mobile coverage providing connectivity to the Internet. This is made possible by innovation and applying new technologies.
The #Fulltäckning project is a challenge-driven innovation and collaborative project within the Vinnova Challenge-driven Innovation funding program and was initiated in November 2016. The project is now in phase 3 which is where testing of results for wider dissemination and scaling up is being executed.
The project is coordinated by Luleå University of Technology, and together with partners such as Radio Innovation, Trafikverket, FOI, Ericsson, and others, MW Group is serving a stronger society and laying the foundation for a fully connected Sweden.