BT Openreach to Conduct UK Field Trial of Rural Mobile Infill Solution

BTOpenreach, which maintains BT’s national UK telecoms network, has announced plans to launch a full field trial of its new Mobile Infill Infrastructure Solution (MiiS). The small cells based product is designed to leverage the existing fixed line network to provide mobile services into parts of the country that suffer from “non-existent or patchy” coverage.

Openreach has already “successfully completed” its initial Proof of Concept Trial, which began in January 2013 (here), and they’re now on the hunt for a Communications Provider (CP) to help take part in a full field trial before the commercial product is introduced.

The operator claims that its field trial, which should run for six months, will be limited to 8 sites and a maximum of 4 trialists (i.e. 2 sites each). It will commence just as soon as Openreach can find a CP that’s willing to agree to their terms.

BTOpenreachs Statement

“Any participating trialist will be required to provide specific equipment, trial performance information and support. The purpose of the trial will be to test technology, radio coverage performance and end to end processes. The trial will require participants to provide live services to end users. Trial charges will be applied to each trial site and will be payable by the trialist. Further information on trial scope, processes, trial charging and terms and conditions are available on request.

In order to participate, a trialist will be required to provide suitable radio and ancillary equipment, order connectivity from the Openreach portfolio and an appropriate level of resource to work with Openreach to install and test this as part of the Openreach trial solution.”

Openreach hopes to have selected its CP trialists by no later than 24th December 2013 and thus we probably won’t hear about the final outcome until the middle of 2014.