Businesses in the South London Borough of Sutton are expected to see an improvement in the area’s 4G and 5G mobile coverage as a result of the two agreements which make it easier for mobile network operators (MNOs) to share digital infrastructure installed on council-owned street furniture.
The open access approach has been championed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as the government claims it helps to reduce the barriers to improving digital connectivity. The new network built around small cells will allow open access so leading MNOs like EE, VMO2, Three UK and Vodafone can buy access to deliver 4G and 5G mobile services.
Councillor Sunita Gordon, lead member for resources at Sutton Council, said: “I’m pleased to see us making good progress to improve the digital connectivity within Sutton. This will be a huge boost to residents, particularly those living, working or visiting the so called ‘not-spots’ and will also be a very welcome improvement to our infrastructure for local businesses.”
Deployments of small cells are due to start in early 2022 which Ontix said would enable faster connectivity and greater capacity for mobile networks, to tackle areas of congested mobile coverage and so-called ‘not-spots’ whilst providing an operational and commercial framework which prioritises the swift deployment of digital infrastructure.
Antony Tomlinson, chief strategy officer at Ontix, said: “The events of the last 18 months have demonstrated how critical connectivity is to modern life, enabling businesses to adapt and creating the backbone on which a ‘new normal’ has been realised. We are delighted to be working with Sutton, who have helped us to develop this agreement and the operational relationships and processes that we need to enable us to deploy small cells.”
The deal with Sutton Council is the latest in a range of open access agreements that Freshwave has signed with local authorities across the UK, most notably in Croydon where the council became the first in the UK to develop a Digital Infrastructure Toolkit which outlines an engagement process for future access to Croydon’s 20,000+ street assets.
Simon Frumkin, CEO of Freshwave, added: “It’s great to see Sutton Council embracing the future with the open access model. We were also the first to sign an open access agreement with a council in 2020. Open access ensures a level playing field for all and we welcome the competition that this brings. Competition accelerates the speed of deployment, meaning communities and organisations will see the benefits that come with improved connectivity more quickly.”
FIND OUT MORE: NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDER THE FRESHWAVE GROUP AIMS TO SOLVE UK DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES
