In short: The North East 5G Innovation Region deployed digital installations across Sunderland city centre that produced a measured 31% increase in footfall — hard evidence that 5G-enabled experiences can drive tangible economic outcomes for struggling high streets. The broader programme includes 360-degree live broadcasting and a connected bus trial with green-light priority.
Key Takeaways
- 31% footfall increase is a measured outcome, not a projection — Sunderland tracked pedestrian counts before and after deployment of 5G-powered digital installations in the city centre
- Connected buses with green-light priority reduce journey times — a 20-bus trial ran from January to March 2025 using 5G vehicle-to-infrastructure communication
- 360-degree live broadcasting demonstrates new production formats — 5G bandwidth enables immersive content production that would be impractical over previous-generation networks
In a nutshell
The Context: North East 5G Innovation Region
The North East 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) is one of the largest regional 5G programmes funded by the UK Government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It covers Sunderland and the wider North East, with deployments spanning the city centre, the Stadium of Light, and the British Esports Arena.
The programme was designed not simply to test 5G technology but to demonstrate measurable economic and social outcomes — and in that regard, the Sunderland results stand out. A 31% increase in city centre footfall is the kind of hard metric that local authorities and regeneration bodies need to justify further investment; we have seen many 5G trials report impressive technical metrics, but far fewer that can point to a number this concrete and this directly relevant to the communities they serve.
Digital Installations and Footfall
UK high streets have faced sustained pressure over the past decade, with footfall declining across many town and city centres. Local authorities have experimented with various interventions — events, public realm improvements, free parking — with mixed results, and we would argue that part of the problem has been a lack of measurable, repeatable approaches.
Sunderland City Council took a different approach through the 5GIR programme, deploying 5G-connected digital installations across the city centre — interactive displays, immersive experiences, and connected art pieces that gave people a reason to visit, linger, and return. The installations relied on 5G for real-time data processing, high-definition content delivery, and interactive responsiveness that would not have been achievable over WiFi or 4G.
The 31% footfall increase was measured using pedestrian counting infrastructure, comparing periods before and during deployment. This is a directly observed change, not a survey-based estimate. For a city the size of Sunderland, that translates into meaningful additional spending in local businesses — though the trade-off is that maintaining engagement over the long term requires continued content investment, and it remains to be seen whether the uplift sustains beyond the initial novelty period.
360-Degree Live Broadcasting
The North East programme also explored how 5G changes what is possible in live content production. Using multiple cameras connected over private 5G, the programme demonstrated 360-degree live broadcasting from venues including the Sunderland AFC Stadium of Light.
Traditional live broadcasting requires expensive outside broadcast vehicles and cabled camera positions. 5G enables wireless camera placement with the bandwidth and low latency needed for broadcast-quality video; for 360-degree production — where multiple high-resolution camera feeds must be stitched together in real time — the bandwidth requirements are substantial, and 5G makes this practical without the fixed infrastructure that currently limits where immersive content can be produced.
This has implications well beyond sport. Events, festivals, cultural venues, and tourism sites could all offer immersive live experiences without investing in permanent broadcast infrastructure, which fundamentally changes the economics of live production.
Connected Buses with Green-Light Priority
Between January and March 2025, a trial of 20 connected buses operated across Sunderland using 5G vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. The buses communicated with traffic signal controllers in real time, enabling green-light priority at junctions along their routes.
Previous transit signal priority implementations relied on dedicated short-range communication or GPS-based approximations, whilst 5G V2I provides more precise positioning, faster signal negotiation, and the ability to factor in real-time traffic conditions. The result is more reliable journey times, reduced fuel consumption, and improved service attractiveness — though we should note that a 20-bus trial over three months is a starting point rather than a conclusion, and the full benefit would only materialise at city-wide scale.
The Wider Lesson
Sunderland's results demonstrate something that many 5G trials have struggled to show: measurable impact on outcomes that matter to real communities. A 31% footfall increase is not a technology metric — it is an economic one. Connected buses and immersive broadcasting are not demonstrations for their own sake; they address transport reliability and content production costs respectively.
The North East 5GIR, including its deployments at the Stadium of Light and British Esports Arena, ultimately shows that 5G's value extends well beyond faster mobile downloads. When deployed with clear use cases and measured against real-world outcomes, the technology delivers results that justify continued investment — and that is fundamentally the evidence base that other cities and regions need if they are to commit their own resources.