Powerful partnerships bring outdoor small cell pilot to the City of London

200+

node locations planned in the Square Mile, the densest deployment of small cells in the UK

Powerful partnerships bring outdoor small cell pilot to the City of London

Freshwave has upgraded existing infrastructure in the Square Mile to make it capable of delivering multi-operator 4G and 5G connectivity at street level using dark fibre and small cells.

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200+

node locations planned in the Square Mile, the densest deployment of small cells in the UK

Freshwave’s end-to-end bespoke design was specifically developed to fit precise design requirements from both the City of London Corporation and all four mobile network operators

Working with City of London Corporation and concession holder Cornerstone, we’ve installed or upgraded City Corporation street assets, such as lamp posts, so that the same asset can be used by multiple mobile network operators. Using small cell technology, which enhances 4G and 5G connectivity, the 10-site pilot runs along Queen Victoria Street and has been delivering an improved user experience for mobile users within the pilot area from December 2022. EE went live on the network in December 2022 and Virgin Media O2 went live in January 2023 with Vodafone planning to join the pilot soon.

Project type

Outdoor connectivity

Communities and public sector workers

200+

200+ node locations planned in the Square Mile, the densest deployment of small cells in the UK

3,360 km

3,360 km of dark fibre by Netomnia deployed across the Square Mile as part of the network

300k+

300,000+ people travel to the Square Mile to work

A place rich in history looks to the future

If the pilot is successful, the ambition is for a City-wide deployment that will deliver faster 4G and 5G mobile connectivity speeds across the Square Mile.

Future-proofing the City Corporation’s small cell communication infrastructure

Infrastructure works are critical but can be disruptive for workers, visitors and residents. Everyone involved in the pilot, such as cabinet installation contractors and ancient monument archaeologists, work together to make the most of the permits secured and keep disruption to a minimum.

We made use of existing street infrastructure wherever possible and our neutral host approach allows multiple mobile network operators to share the same street assets.

We work in collaboration with the public sector to deliver assured connectivity

Learn how we enable smarter towns, cities and government buildings.

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Outdoor small cells

Outdoor small cells enhance mobile coverage in busy urban areas where the number of people and things using the signal may put too much demand on the nearest mast. The cells can often be added to existing street assets like lamp posts.

Adds capacity for busy locations

Cost-efficient, fast deployment with compact, low-power units

All-operators on a shared unit, reducing cost and clutter of single-operator infrastructure

Indoor Connectivity

Outdoor Connectivity

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