Freshwave runs pilot for concession holder Cornerstone
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has signed up to a pilot project run by Freshwave that uses small cells to cut congestion in densely populated areas of a mobile network. “We’re looking forward to going live on the network very soon,” said Paul Broome, VMO2 London & South-East Trial Manager.
The Freshwave small cell project is running in The City, the square mile that comprises the finance district of London. By day options traders, ‘bear skin jobbers’ and other bullish speculators could all lose their fortunes in the time it takes to say ‘latency’, so the area is densely populated with demanding users. Subscribers to EE are already getting the best response ever (hopefully) along Queen Victoria Street thanks to the pioneering work of systems integrator Freshwave, dark fibre provider Netomnia and the UK’s mobile network operators. Vodafone has committed to join the project in April 2023.
Freshwave’s system relieves congestion in busy city centres where the macro site serving that area is packed with traffic. Outdoor small cells, installed on the streets, can process some of that workload themselves, boosting mobile connectivity in densely populated areas. 5G technology is designed to work best with densified networks and these are the first 5G outdoor small cells to be installed in the City of London. Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave built new mobile infrastructure in the 10-site pilot to make it shareable and capable of delivering 4G and 5G for all four mobile network operators (MNOs).
EE is now live on Freshwave’s neutral host network, a network sharing infrastructure arrangement aided by a third party. For the pilot Freshwave designed a network that accommodates all four mobile network operators on 4G and 5G, with no adjustments to the infrastructure needed. This is the first of its kind in the UK. The system comprises specially designed wideband antennas, cabinets and columns and large amounts of dark fibre to each cabinet.
This multi-operator outdoor small cell network is the culmination of over two years of Freshwave’s close collaboration with all four MNOs and other industry partners. The pioneering network’s shareable infrastructure avoids equipment and infrastructure duplication, making it cheaper to run, while minimising street clutter and the disruption that street works cause during installation. “The City is already a global business hub and this mobile connectivity will play an important part,” said Graham Packham City of London Corporation Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee Chairman.
Sharing infrastructure cuts the environmental impact while improving connections. The network uses a centralised radio access network (C-RAN) which keeps its kit in cabinets, rather than on streets. The C-RAN is linked by dark fibre from wholesale fibre broadband operator Netomnia. “Shared infrastructure is the logical evolution in telecoms as cities become more connected and smarter,” said Simon Frumkin, Freshwave’s CEO. Companies like Freshwave that offer neutral hosting will expedite connectivity for everyone because it’s cheaper, greener and less disruptive.