5G Networks are rolling out.  They offer unparalleled opportunities to enhance the connectivity we already rely upon (more so in the wake of COVID-19 than ever before) and to open new avenues in healthcare, distance working, AgriTech and a myriad of as of yet unconsidered opportunities. Reports from 2017 suggest that just a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration could increase UK GDP by 0.6% – 2.8% and a report from O2 suggest that 5G infrastructure will contribute £7 billion a year in direct measures alone.  The upside potential for UK PLCS is vast, but there are significant barriers to the deployment of 5G networks outside the super urban areas that make the business case harder.  Underlying these problems is the high frequency required for 5G throughput (at least in the mobile, not Fixed Wireless Access deployments most people understand 5G to be).  These high-frequencies have short reach and poor penetration to man-made objects like buildings, and so the density of cell and micro-cell sites will be far greater than that we’ve seen before.  They will be dependant on ‘deep’ fibre connectivity.  To deliver on coverage promises and objectives the deployment of 5G has five primary hurdles it will have to overcome: Connectivity between the millions of new cell sites needed;Ultra-high-resolution mapping data and sophisticated planning tools;Gaining secured access to sites (wayleaves); Spectrum; andDeployment capital. All of the above are capital intensive.  Outside of the super urban areas, where population and demand density (alongside spectrum challenges) skew the economics, the cost of every provider building it’s own 5G network will be unnecessarily high, and in the more rural areas prohibitively so.  Not only will this delay delivery to areas that could benefit from the technology the most, but the extreme capital demands will eliminate the opportunity for further competition in the market space.  Network sharing agreements among the current MNOs will help, but they will lack the agility needed to…