The UK’s digital authority awarded eight trial projects a combined £4 million of previously-announced funding, with each aiming to develop systems to help operators gain access to public infrastructure for mobile equipment.

In statement, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) detailed the chosen projects will explore how digital asset management software can aid local authorities in processing requests from operators to access a variety of public buildings and roadside infrastructure.

It noted deployment of 5G and expansion of 4G was being hampered by the “difficult and time consuming” process to verify if street assets were suitable to host equipment, including proximity to a power source and physical dimensions.

Operators have long bemoaned difficulty in accessing sites to deploy equipment to improve coverage in urban and rural areas.

The eight projects are spread around the country, with initatives at varying stages of development of digital platforms for connecting operators and local authorities, largely focused on the specific regions each are based in.