5G launched in the UK in May 2019 and has been rolling out ever since, with the government confirming that 77 per cent of the UK population currently has basic 5G access as of April 2023. The government has also pledged that all populated areas of the country will be covered by standalone 5G, or 5G-plus, by 2030.
Offering higher speeds, lower latency and a greater capacity than its predecessor 4G, the UK is looking towards the launch of 6G also, with technology secretary Michelle Donelan announcing a £40m 5G innovation fund, designed to encourage business take up, plus a further £100m in funding for 6G research.
6G itself isn’t expected to be a reality until around 2030, and it’s likely to be 100 times faster than 5G; itself up to 100 times faster than 4G. Beyond speed, 6G is expected to be a fully integrated system, and looks set be the spark to ignite the metaverse, as it will have the bandwidth needed for rendering real-time, personalised 3D worlds.
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5G jobs
Right now, there are a number of jobs available in the UK within the 5G space. You can discover five interesting opportunities below, with many more exciting roles across the tech sector to be found on the Information Age Job Board.
User Terminal (UT) senior SATCOM/RF systems engineer, OneWeb, London
OneWeb is a global leader in connectivity from space and is building a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency broadband communications services, connected to the IoT future and a pathway to 5G.
The User Terminal (UT) senior SATCOM/RF systems engineer will be a passionate and experienced SATCOM/RF engineer, eager to apply their knowledge and know-how in a cutting-edge LEO environment. You should have a solid foundation in electronics, RF subsystems, antennas, antenna positioners/controllers and SATCOM communications, with five years’ of related experience. Get the full job spec now.
Senior manager – mobile systems DevOps, BT Group, London
BT is seeking to transform aspects of mobile networks to take full advantage of the new evolving 5G ecosystem. As a result it is recruiting a senior manager for mobile systems DevOps within Networks. This role is key to delivering BT’s Mobile Network Leadership and ‘Transforming our Operating Model strategies through aligned data analytics capabilities and digital solutions’.
To be considered, you’ll need strategic and commercial expertise in 4G and 5G technologies, with a proven ability to translate and communicate complex technical ideas into business opportunities, as well as proven skills in data analytics, data science, big data and their application to network and service operations. See the full list of requirements.
Telco 5G core support consultant, Oracle, London
As a Telco 5G core consultant at Oracle, you’ll support and deliver Oracle telco 5G core-based customer solutions for the consulting services organisation. You’ll also have primary responsibility for the technical delivery and support of a customer solution, and will work with the delivery team and other vendors to successfully scope and deliver customer solutions.
You should process knowledge and experience of data communications concepts of network architecture, TCP/IP Protocol suite, SNMP, NTP, and troubleshooting, as well as knowledge and experience with VPN, IPSec, SCTP, TLS, IPv4, and IPv6, and routing protocols/technologies. Ansible Tower, Playbook, and REST API knowledge are a plus. Apply for this job now.
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Electrical design manager, BT Group, Birmingham
As electrical design manager, you will lead a team of technical and compliance specialists for M&E infrastructure at BT, covering all of BT’s technical facilities which, along with associated infrastructure, drives all BT network-based services, as well as internal and external IT solutions, and underpins BT’s strategy in terms of accelerated fibre rollout, ESN/5G deployment and much more.
To be considered, you’ll have a creative mind-set, an ability to take bold decisions, be tech savvy, and have the ability to drive innovation. Additionally, strong experience in electrical and/or mechanical systems is needed as is demonstrable practical experience. Discover all the details here.
System integration & test engineer, OneWeb, London
A few years’ experience in a relevant industry such as satellite communications, 4G/5G telecoms or IP networking would be an advantage for this system integration & test engineer role. You’ll integrate third party user terminals into the OneWeb LEO network, by being the main focal point at OneWeb for this endeavour, and understand, maintain and enhance the OneWeb Gen1 system across various layers, as well as the back-end support software infrastructure.
To be considered, you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as electrical/electronic engineering, aerospace engineering, physics or maths. See all the requirements now.
Kirstie McDermott works for our job board partner, Jobbio. Based in Dublin, she has been a writer and editor across print and digital platforms for over 15 years.
For more career opportunities, browse the Information Age Job Board today
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