Smart Cells for London

O2 and Arqiva to deploy up to 300 outdoor small cells across London in preparation for the next generation mobile network (5G).

19:22 19 April 2018

O2 has partnered with UK infrastructure company Arqiva to deploy one of its biggest small cell installations so far. The project will see up to 300 outdoor small cells deployed across London to increase the mobile network’s capacity and coverage in 14 boroughs. This is just one of the many steps that the company is taking to pave the way for the rapid deployment of 5G when it becomes available in 2020.

 

Small cells are low-powered cellular radio access nodes that can operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Their range can be short as 10 metres or up to a few kilometres. They can be attached to street furniture, including the sides of buildings and lampposts.

 

David Crawford, Managing Director, Telecoms & M2M at Arqiva, said, “New types of mobile infrastructure are now required to meet the needs of the mobile network operators and their customers. As demand for data continues to increase, the requirement for network densification will grow and use of street furniture and small cells will play a critical role in delivering the mobile networks of the future.”