Once again, fibre dominated the agenda at Connected North. Important, yes—but the continued sidelining of wireless connectivity is no longer just frustrating - It’s borderline alarming.
Across local authorities, the appetite for innovation is clear. Demand is strong, ideas are well-formed. What’s missing is the infrastructure investment and policy direction needed to deliver fast, flexible connectivity at scale.The North doesn’t have a technology problem—there are several amazing innovation hubs including a space centre in Liverpool but it does seem to have a delivery and prioritisation problem.
The reality on the ground tells a different story than the one often discussed in conference rooms. Fibre alone won’t unlock regional growth. In rural and semi-urban areas, it’s expensive, disruptive, and slow to deploy and beset by push back from the locals.
Wireless, by contrast, is often faster, scalable, and in many cases, the only viable near-term solution. Yet it remains under represented in public sector strategies—and was conspicuously absent from the conversation in Manchester. We talk about solutions—IoT, smart cities, decarbonisation, real-time monitoring—but overlook the enabler at the heart of it all: connectivity. Without robust, accessible networks, none of these ideas will takeoff. This was common feedback from delegates in the hall.
The complexity of managing a fragmented connectivity estate only adds to the challenge. Public-private partnerships will be fundamental if we're serious about solving it.In urban and semi-urban areas, the economics of fibre may add up. But in rural regions, the business case still hinges on public funding. Wireless can close that gap—delivering inclusive growth cost-effectively and at speed. Yet too often, conversations circle back to funding constraints and patch work solutions, built on shoestrings rather than designed for longevity.
Fragmentation in the supplier landscape is also stalling progress. With so many small players and so little clarity, local authorities are left paralysed by too many choices and not enough interoperability—especially with tight budgets and high expectations.
If we’re serious about unlocking innovation in health, housing, and community services - driving true digital inclusion for greater societal benefit - we need to start backing technologies that can deliver this at speed. The fibre-first mindset is creating blind spots and slowing down progress and its time to think more widely to include fibre and fixed wireless access options. Bold, longer term, outcome-led investment decisions will create the foundations for success and this must include Fixed Wireless Access as part of the wider solution.
