A collaboration between mobile operator O2 (VMOS), wireless infrastructure provider Freshwave and ad firm Clear Channel UK has enabled residents and visitors in parts of Tower Hamlets (London) to access a stronger 4G mobile signal when standing near to supporting bus shelters, which have built-in small cell connectivity.
Shoebox sized small cells are like mini mobile base stations, which have been designed to deliver limited coverage (usually up to around 80-120 metres) and thus tend to be more focused on busy urban areas or specific sites. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find these sitting on top of lampposts, CCTV poles or old payphone cubicles (often more cost-effective than building new street assets or trying to secure wayleaves on buildings etc.).
Earlier this year we reported that O2 and Freshwave had conducted trials of 4G and 5G equipped bus shelters (there are 10,000 such shelters in London), which were connected to backhaul capacity via optical fibre cables. The good news is that these are now being installed anywhere there’s a Clear Channel supported bus shelter and a “requirement to increase [local] network capacity” in Tower Hamlets, and they’re “5G-ready” for the future.
The new small cells are being deployed to related bus shelters over the “coming months“, although it’s unclear precisely how many shelters will benefit from this or when the rollout itself will complete. But it’s by no means the first time that somebody has stuck radio / mobile equipment on top of a bus shelter in the UK, but in the past such deployments were often tied to specific operators.
Pete Hollebon, VMO2, said:
“Collaboration with partners such as Freshwave and Clear Channel is crucial to delivering the best possible network experience for our customers. This industry-first achievement provides us with new options when it comes to our continual network improvements and we’re looking forward to adding the technology to further sites.”
Simon Frumkin, CEO at Freshwave, said:
“I’m proud of our constant engineering and design innovations, as well as the way we collaborate in new ways with industry partners and local authorities. Smart cities and towns need new approaches to digital connectivity. And the more existing street assets that can be used to bring this to our towns, the better it is for both the mobile network operators and the customers and communities they serve. This is why we’re already working on a multi-operator, multi-technology design for bus shelter use too.”
At launch only O2 (VMO2) appear to be offering a 4G mobile service via the new sites, but Freshwave’s cells are usually available via wholesale for other operators to harness too, if they so choose.