Vodafone UK Re-purposes Phone Boxes in Brighton to Boost 4G

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has managed to boost their 4G (mobile broadband) signal in the coastal East Sussex city of Brighton by installing small cells on top of five phone boxes, some of which appear to have been previously owned by arch rival BT (many of those are now standing disused).

Each small cell only has a very limited reach, producing a 200-metre coverage radius (assuming no other objects or buildings obstruct it), but that’s still enough to help the operator serve busy parts of the city. The associated phone boxes are located in Bartholomew Street, Castle Square, Duke Street, Queens Square and on the seafront by Palace Pier (pictured).

Admittedly it’s not the first time that Vodafone has done this, with a similar deployment taking place across parts of Cornwall last year (i.e. the popular seaside resorts of Polzeath and Sennen Cove). Interestingly the operator seems to have gone out of their way this time to obscure the box itself in their picture.

Scott Petty, Vodafone’s CTO, said: “Across the UK, we see old phone boxes being used as libraries, shops and even aquariums. But with our technology they are returning to their roots, ensuring residents and visitors to the city can stay connected.”