Mobile operator EE (BT) has moved to upgrade their network coverage and data capacity for residents and visitors to the famous London village of Wimbledon, which involved upgrades to 17 existing 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) sites, as well as the deployment of new Small Cells to improve coverage in busy areas.
Unlike big base stations and masts, small cells are only designed to deliver limited coverage over a shorter distance and thus tend to be more focused on busy areas (e.g. shopping malls) or specific sites (e.g. airports and ports). Such kit is often positioned on the side of buildings or street furniture, such as lamp posts, CCTV columns and street kiosks etc.
EE has worked closely with strategic supplier Nokia to deploy the solutions, which uses its licenced 1800MHz and 2600Mhz spectrum to deliver better capacity and mobile broadband speeds of up to 300Mbps (this will vary a lot). Naturally, this all has to do with the extra visitor traffic being anticipated for the annual Wimbledon Tennis Tournament.
Greg McCall, BT Groups’ Chief Networks Officer, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Nokia to bring enhanced 4G mobile capacity to Wimbledon. With over half a million visitors expected over the course of two weeks in July, our new small cell deployments will alleviate congestion and ensure that EE customers continue to benefit from the speed, reliability and accessibility of London’s best mobile network [Based on rankings from the RootMetrics® London RootScore® Report: 2H 2022].”
The operator has so far deployed a total of 611 small cells across different parts of the UK, and they’re planning to deploy “hundreds more small cells … in the coming months“, both in existing and new towns and cities. Rival operators, such as O2 (VMO2), also have similar deployments ongoing in other locations.