A 5G INTERNET tower is set to be built on a science park in order to test the pioneering technology.

Malvern Hills Science Park, off Geraldine Road, has applied for permission to install a 26-metre tower on its land.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport chose Malvern Science Park as one of six 5G trial projects in the UK.

Alan White, chief executive of Malvern Science Park, said: "These are very exciting times. We are leading the charge. Companies are coming to Malvern Science Park to test the application of 5G.

"5G is a very different project to 4G. It's a paradigm shift. We will be able to get a lot more data.

"At the moment it's at a very early stage of understanding how that network can work.

"It will lead to the 'internet of things' becoming a reality. We will be able to do many things remotely that we currently can't do because of the network capacity."

The 'internet of things' is a scenario where a range of objects are connected to an online network.

Mr White envisioned that people will be able to receive alerts when their fridge door is left open or when their doorbell rings.

Mark Stansfeld, chair of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), previously said: "5G connectivity is set to revolutionise the way that future business will operate both in the UK and globally."

QinetiQ, the defence technology company, will use the network to test advanced cyber security applications.

The proposed tower is just one part of the 5G project, with other high-tech equipment also being installed at the park.

The bottom of the tower will be surrounded by a steel mesh wire fence with barbed wire on top.

Malvern Hills Science Park's 5G network will only be accessible to the consortium behind the project, which is led by WLEP.

The Worcestershire 5G Consortium comprises Worcestershire County Council, 5GIC at University of Surrey, AWTG, Huawei, O2, BT, Worcester Bosch, and Yamazaki Mazak.