By Alana Gaughan, Digital and Data Lead, Founds Group
At Founds Group, our mission is to make sense of complex digital ecosystems and transform that intelligence into actionable insights for clients and partners. With the rapid expansion of 5G and fibre infrastructure, it’s more important than ever to have a clear, data-driven picture of where connectivity strengths – and weaknesses – lie.
That’s where our master-map tool comes in. By bringing together a wide variety of datasets, we’re helping programme leads, local authorities, and delivery partners to not only understand the current landscape but to plan effectively for the future.
Why this matters
Our work focuses on three core aims:
- Uncovering connectivity gaps and building a holistic picture of the digital ecosystem in any given area.
- Collating datasets – from Ofcom coverage estimates to fibre routes, private networks, local authority development areas, and more – into a single, accessible view.
- Tracking change over time, so decision-makers can see whether investments are improving coverage and where challenges remain.
By collating data from multiple sources, such as Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting, BDUK’s Project Gigabit updates, internet user classifications, deprivation indices, and infrastructure maps, we aim to create a powerful, holistic toolkit for Local Authority clients. It’s baseline mapping that evolves through time with connectivity updates, reflecting progress, and offering the evidence base needed to guide investment.
Turning data into decisions
The tool isn’t just a repository – it’s a way to translate technical data into visuals and analysis that can underpin conversations at the very start of programme planning, acting as a base-layer to client criteria and specific datasets. This helps project leads and stakeholders identify priority areas, streamline asset coordination, and build a shared understanding of digital needs.
It’s also a way to validate assumptions. For example, as part of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) programme, we collaborated with NetworkUX to compare their real-world mobile signal data with Ofcom’s predicted 5G coverage.
By cross-checking the two, we were able to reveal differences in performance and strength across two sites of interest before pilots were rolled out. This wasn’t just an academic exercise – it directly shaped the programme’s next steps, informed GMCA’s written connectivity report, and supported submissions to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to challenge and refine Ofcom’s national reporting methods.
A living baseline for progress
Beyond validation, the master-map acts as a long-term tracking tool. With each new data release, we refresh the analysis, enabling quarterly updates that show how connectivity is changing at both national and local levels. This provides a consistent baseline against which to evaluate policy and infrastructure programmes – from Project Gigabit and PSTN switch-off, to broader ambitions around digital inclusivity.
The bigger picture
Connectivity underpins everything – from economic growth and business resilience to tackling inequalities in access and opportunity. By making hidden gaps visible and tracking the pace of change, we can give regions like Greater Manchester the evidence they need to shape investment, test assumptions, and deliver on digital inclusion goals.
In short, our work is about turning data into impact. For 5GIR, that meant providing the clarity needed to move forward with confidence. For future programmes, it means ensuring that every community has the digital foundation to thrive.