Mysterious masts appear in Worthing: Council responds to facial recognition software theory

Twenty-eight masts have been installed in the West Sussex seaside town, with local people raising concerns that they were using facial recognition software – but this theory has been debunked.

The installations are instead part of BEACH – a £9m project being led by Dense Air, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, technology providers Radisys UK, Sitenna and the University of Glasgow, supported by Worthing Borough Council and funded by The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

A county council spokesperson said: “Newly installed street columns have a dual purpose to provide better 4G and eventual 5G mobile network over small cell radio receivers, as well as carrying usual street or highways signage, or CCTV.

“This project will support the local economy in Worthing, especially during its busy season, by providing the reliable connectivity needed for local initiatives and events, guaranteeing cashless transactions and resilient connectivity for the visitor experience.

"Importantly, BEACH will advance local sustainability goals by establishing an energy-efficient system for Worthing’s mobile network infrastructure. The small cells will flex power consumption up and down based on actual demand, saving energy and supporting the county-wide agenda to de-carbonise by 2030.

“We can confirm that no facial recognition software is being used or installed as part of this project.”

BEACH has been described as an ‘exciting and innovative’ project to provide ‘energy efficient and resilient’ mobile network coverage – ‘transforming users’ experience in Worthing’.

A spokesperson added: “Increasing numbers of people and businesses trying to make calls or get online via mobile phones stretches the existing cellular coverage and outdoor connectivity frequently does not support transactions wirelessly or online.

“BEACH will create a cellular network, able to be shared by mobile network operators and hosted on local authority-owned assets, capable of flexing its capacity to supply the connectivity needs of users at peak times.

“The £9m project, funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, will deploy optimised and low-impact small radio cells along a pilot area encompassing the town centre and beach front. These will support faster, more reliable mobile speeds and capacity whilst also saving energy across the network.”

Intelligent power management by the BEACH network will decrease power consumption at times of low demand and store power for times of peak demand, saving energy and supporting the council’s county-wide agenda to de-carbonise by 2030, the county council said.

The new cells will also provide the cellular coverage needed for electronic payments, both at permanent businesses and for traders attending events or markets.

The spokesperson added: “Enhanced network coverage will also further support the delivery of local events and enterprises requiring connectivity and enable promotion and marketing on social media including the ability to live stream events.

“BEACH is supported by two UK-based mobile network operators who will ensure the project’s success as a world-first shared deployment on new infrastructure developed in line with the regulatory JOTS Framework and utilising O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) at a scale that is designed to be repeatable in other local authority areas.

“BEACH will deploy 4G small cells on council-owned assets from summer 2024. The new cells will provide a significant improvement in cellular services across the network to meet the increased demand for future 5G services.”

More information about BEACH including a video and online enquiry form can be found on the website: www.theconnectedbeach.co.uk.