Case Study
6th May 2026
In March 2026, Sunderland City Council and Southpaw Company partnered to deliver an exciting demonstration of our smart city’s digital capabilities. Supported through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) programme, the collaboration showcased how smart connectivity can enhance creative expression and open new forms of public engagement.
The pop-up event formed part of Sunderland’s wider 5GIR programme, which is focused on utilising advanced connectivity to drive innovation across the region. The 5GIR project in Sunderland is delivered with our joint-venture partner Boldyn Networks, who supply the network infrastructure for real-time broadcasting. With support from central government funding, Sunderland is using 5G to support sustainable growth, test new ideas and showcase how 5G technology can boost Sunderland’s creative and digital industries while enhancing public events and public engagement in Keel Square and the wider city.
The 5G pop-up enables the extension of Sunderland City Council’s 5G private network to areas in the city and North East region not currently served, providing high-speed, reliable, and secure connectivity for various event spaces. This demonstration focused on exploring how well the connected broadcasting functionality could work in practice, and what it might enable in the future. Working with Southpaw highlighted exactly how digital tools can create new pathways for creativity and cultural engagement.
At the centre of the project is a transportable “pop-up” 5G network, connecting to the Sunderland Pavilion: a three-sided, transparent LED screen installed in Keel Square as part of the city’s 5GIR programme. Designed as a public engagement asset, the Pavilion brings Sunderland’s smart infrastructure to life, enabling live 360° broadcasts in a prominent, accessible public space. With its low latency and high-speed performance, 5G is particularly well suited to creative applications, especially live broadcasts, where timing, clarity and real-time feedback make all the difference.
Southpaw was an ideal partner for testing how digital innovation can support creative outreach: the dance company is committed to community participation and cultural inclusion, with a focus on widening access to dance and engaging communities who may not typically encounter contemporary performance. Southpaw’s base at Sheepfolds Stables became the starting point for this pop-up. Equipped with a 5G pop-up network and a 360° camera, the studio was transformed into a live broadcasting hub capable of transmitting dance rehearsals directly to the Pavilion in Keel Square.
Throughout the afternoon on March 12th, Southpaw dancers took part in a test broadcast that blended live rehearsal footage with prerecorded material. This new approach merged the live camera footage with content from a laptop in Southpaw’s studio, blending the two into a single stream shown on the Pavilion screen. We tested real-time motion-driven visuals using live inputs and explored how low-latency systems like 5G could enable responsive, networked performance environments. The stream acted as a proof of concept, demonstrating that real time connectivity between the studio and city centre is a working capability.
With the technical foundations now in place, the potential applications begin to expand. This initial trial marks an important step in demonstrating how Sunderland’s smart city infrastructure can support cultural innovation. By working with a valued local partner, Sunderland City Council has demonstrated how digital capability can be developed to support people, creativity and place.
As Sunderland continues to test and refine its 5G-enabled assets and further advanced connectivity, the focus now turns to what might come next. From live arts and youth engagement to heritage storytelling, interactive installations or something entirely new, our smart city ambition is to explore how advanced connectivity can enrich everyday life across the city.
We’ve built the capability; now we’re looking ahead to what’s next for Sunderland’s smart future. If you have ideas for how 5G could support creativity, community engagement or innovative digital experiences in the city, we’d love to hear from you.
The North East 5G Innovation Regions programme has been delivered with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), alongside the support of the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and a wide range of partners across local government, industry, academia and the technology sector.
Get in touch via our website. Read more about Southpaw Company. Visit our dedicated page for the North East’s 5GIR projects.