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5GCITY · Project

Shared 5G and Edge Computing Platform That Lets Cities Become Network Hosts

digitalPilotedTRL 7
5gcity.eu

Imagine a city owns streetlights, rooftops, and fiber cables — but only one telecom company can use them at a time. 5GCITY built a platform that lets cities share all that infrastructure with multiple telecom operators at once, like an Airbnb for urban network equipment. They pushed computing power out of big data centers right to the edge of the network — onto small boxes mounted across the city. They proved it works by running live pilots in Barcelona, Bristol, and Lucca.

By the numbers
3
Cities with live pilot deployments (Barcelona, Bristol, Lucca)
21
Consortium partners
8
Countries represented
15
Industry partners in consortium
6
SMEs in the consortium
71%
Industry ratio in consortium
19
Total project deliverables produced
The business problem

What needed solving

Deploying 5G in cities is expensive because every telecom operator builds its own small cell network independently — duplicating costs for site access, backhaul, and energy. Cities own ideal infrastructure (rooftops, streetlights, fiber) but have no easy way to share it with multiple operators. Meanwhile, applications that need real-time processing are stuck sending data to faraway data centers.

The solution

What was built

The team built a complete multi-tenant edge computing and 5G orchestration platform, including: a service orchestrator with SDK and dashboard (interim and final releases), a virtualization infrastructure for resource-constrained edge devices with VNF support, location-aware machine learning mechanisms, and city-wide integration validated across 3 pilot cities. In total, 19 deliverables were produced.

Audience

Who needs this

Mobile network operators planning dense urban small cell rolloutsMunicipal governments looking to monetize city-owned infrastructure for 5GNeutral host providers building shared wireless infrastructureEdge computing companies needing city-scale distributed cloud platformsMedia and AR/VR companies requiring ultra-low-latency content delivery
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Telecommunications
enterprise
Target: Mobile network operators or neutral host providers deploying small cells in dense urban areas

If you are a telecom operator struggling to deploy small cells across cities because securing rooftop access and backhaul for each site is expensive — this project built a multi-tenant open platform that lets multiple operators share the same city infrastructure. It was validated across 3 cities with 21 partners, so the interoperability challenges have already been worked through.

Smart City Services
any
Target: Municipal governments or city infrastructure managers running digital services

If you are a city administration sitting on fiber, streetlights, and buildings but not monetizing them for connectivity — this project developed an orchestration platform that turns your assets into a shared 5G hosting service. The platform was piloted in Barcelona, Bristol, and Lucca, proving that municipalities can act as neutral hosts for telecom operators.

Media and Entertainment
mid-size
Target: Video streaming or AR/VR companies needing ultra-low-latency edge processing

If you are a media company that needs to process video or augmented reality content close to end users instead of in distant data centers — this project built edge computing infrastructure with location-aware machine learning that runs at the network edge. The virtualization layer was tested in real city deployments across 3 European cities.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt or license this platform?

The project data does not include licensing fees or pricing. Since this was an EU-funded Innovation Action with 15 industry partners, commercialization terms would need to be negotiated with the consortium lead (i2CAT in Spain) or the specific industrial partners involved.

Can this scale to a full city-wide deployment?

Yes — the platform was explicitly designed for city-wide scale and validated in 3 cities (Barcelona, Bristol, Lucca). The final deliverable reports on city-wide pilot outcomes, and the orchestrator went through both interim and final releases with performance testing.

Who owns the IP and can I license the technology?

IP is shared among the 21 consortium partners across 8 countries, governed by the EU grant agreement. With 15 industry partners and 6 SMEs in the consortium, there are likely commercialization pathways already explored. Contact the coordinator for specific licensing options.

Does this work with existing telecom infrastructure or require a full rebuild?

The platform was designed around the neutral host model — it integrates with existing city infrastructure like small cells and fiber. The virtualization layer uses standard VNFs (Virtual Network Functions) that can run on resource-constrained devices already deployed in the field.

What is the timeline from evaluation to deployment?

The project ran from June 2017 to March 2020 and produced a final validated prototype. Since the project is closed, the technology is ready for adaptation. Implementation timelines would depend on the specific city infrastructure and number of tenants to support.

Is there regulatory approval for operating as a neutral host?

The project addressed the neutral host / open access model which is gaining regulatory support across Europe for 5G small cell densification. Based on available project data, the pilots operated within regulatory boundaries in Spain, UK, and Italy, but specific regulatory compliance details should be verified with the consortium.

What technical support is available post-project?

The project is closed (ended March 2020), but the consortium included 15 industry partners and 6 SMEs, several of which may offer commercial support. The coordinator i2CAT is a well-established digital innovation foundation in Catalonia that continues related work.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium with 15 out of 21 partners coming from industry (71% ratio), which is unusually high and signals strong commercial intent. The 6 SMEs bring agility while the larger industry players provide deployment muscle. With partners across 8 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, UK), the platform was designed for cross-border interoperability from day one. The coordinator, i2CAT in Spain, is a well-known digital innovation foundation. The presence of only 1 university and 2 research organizations confirms this was an execution-focused project, not an academic exercise.

How to reach the team

Coordinator is FUNDACIO PRIVADA I2CAT in Barcelona, Spain. SciTransfer can help locate the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortiumSee FUNDACIO PRIVADA I2CAT, INTERNET I INNOVACIO DIGITAL A CATALUNYA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the 5GCITY team? SciTransfer connects businesses with EU research teams — contact us for a warm introduction and a tailored one-page brief.

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