The project will be an enabler for digital solutions that improve construction productivity and help to grow UK technical capability in the field of 5G.

The £1.7m project will be delivered by a consortium led by BAM Nuttall partnered with AttoCore and the Building Research Establishment with £846,000 funding coming from government.

The project – known as 5G AMC 2 (Accelerate, Maximise and Create for Construction) – will explore how 5G can enable the use of data to maximise the productivity of construction processes.

BAM Nuttall will test 5G-powered cameras, drones and sensors at construction sites in Kilsyth, Glasgow and Shetland.

To do this BAM will establish a private 5G network at its regional office in Kilsyth, Scotland and a construction project in Shetland.

Using cameras, drones, mixed reality and IoT sensors regional office staff will monitor construction process and track assets.

Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman, said: “I look forward to seeing how this new era of mobile technology can empower construction firms to work smarter, shorten delivery times and cut costs.”

Colin Evison, Head of Innovation at BAM Nuttall said that it would also test out the technical possibilities of Open RAN.

This is an alternative way of building telecoms networks that allows for greater interoperability of radio equipment between providers and will give operators more choice and flexibility as they roll out 5G infrastructure.