Bristol and Bath could become the UK’s first ever ‘5G city’ if a bid to central government is successful.

The government has said it is searching for a city to lead the country in a multi-million pound trial of new high-speed connectivity.

Now the West of England Combined Authority has announced its intention to put forward a bid for the Urban Connected Communities Project.

During a meeting of the WECA Joint Committee last Wednesday, representatives from Bristol, B&NES, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset agreed to allocate £150,000 to work on the bid.

The money has come from an underspend of Local Growth Funding, and will be used to support a team from WECA to get the bid ready before the June deadline.

Speaking during Wednesday’s meeting, WECA Mayor, Tim Bowles, said this would build on the work surrounding 5G technology which was already taking place in the region.

Bristol and Bath have recently become two of the first cities in the UK to trial public 5G networks at tourist attractions following a successful £5 million WECA bid.

Tim Bowles said: “The work that went in to securing the initial 5G trial was immense but this is the next step. For us to go ahead and meet the ambitions we all have for the region within 5G and so many other areas, it’s vital that we have the capacity to be able to make these really compelling bids which will lead to the success of the region.”

The successful ‘city’ will be testing how new technology can make urban communities inherently safer, greener, more efficient and more attractive places to live.

This could mean Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire trialling technology that could make traffic jams a thing of the past through the use of sensors and real-time monitoring.

There are also plans to use video consultation and remote treatment so doctors and health care professionals can carry out remote treatment for those less able to travel.

Digital Minister, Margot James, said: “This is a huge opportunity for an urban area to become the flagship of our ambitious programme to make Britain fit for the future and a world leader in 5G.

“Trialling 5G at scale across an entire city is a chance to prove the economic benefits predicted from this new technology, test different methods of deployment and boost the connectivity of ordinary people working and living there.”

As well as enhancing connectivity for residents and businesses, the urban testbed will trial 5G applications across multiple sectors including public services, industry, transport, healthcare, media and entertainment.

The project will specifically target ‘pinch-points’ of poor connectivity in cities, including areas of high-demand, such as mainline stations or city centres where heavy usage – rather than a lack of signal – leads to ‘not-spots’.

The winning location is expected to be announced this summer.