The Advanced Connectivity Technologies Sector Study 2025 prj_6285

The government's Industrial Strategy set out the eight critical sectors that have the greatest growth potential over the next decade and have a critical role in supporting national productivity, economic security and resilience, and the transition to net zero. The Digital and Technology sector is one of these critical sectors of which, Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) is a priority frontier technology - as set out by DSIT's Science and Technology Framework. ACT and the networks they underpin are increasingly essential for industry, government and citizens. They are essential for telecoms networks but are also deployable in other domains like transport and enterprise networks, and defence and security settings. The increasing reliance across the economy on the connectivity that these technologies enable underpins DSIT's mission to develop a thriving UK ACT ecosystem. DSIT published the ACT market scoping analysis in June 2025 (discussed in further detail below), which was a rapid review of the size and scale of the UK telecoms ecosystem to identify firms aligned with ACT and their economic impact. This procurement outlines the requirement for a sector study to build on the initial market analysis to inform and support DSIT and wider government ambitions for ACT.