Three’s chief network officer Iain Milligan said the partnership was part of the network’s “indoor focus” and “investment in enhancing connectivity…especially for business customers”.
According to Freshwave, while more than three-quarters of mobile calls originate indoors, modern building materials make it harder for the outdoor macro signal to penetrate inside leaving many buildings as mobile signal dead zones. By developing in-building small cell systems, Freshwave said it can “bring networks indoors with guaranteed quality of service and without placing extra pressure on the outdoor macro”.
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The deployment marks the first use of the UK’s recently developed Joint Operator Technical Specifications (JOTS) NHIB specification, an agreed technical standard for connecting shared in-building radio solutions based on 4G small cell technologies. By following the JOTS NHIB specification, a neutral host can provide mobile services to businesses on behalf of one or more of the UK’s leading MNOs with Three UK’s deployment marking the first network-wide usage.
Tom Bennett, CTO at Freshwave, said: “This is another step forward in making assured indoor mobile connectivity easier for businesses to access around the UK and we’re pleased to have worked with Three UK on this world-leading approach. We’re excited that Three UK is now also using the specification and that Freshwave is the first company to be the neutral host for multiple operators on the NHIB specification.”
The partnership with Three follows pilot deployments by Freshwave of its NHIB mobile connectivity setup with flexible office specialist Workspace and AXA Investment Manager at its 22 Bishopsgate London office building.
