Vodafone UK to Boost Rural 4G Mobile Cover via Church Towers

Mobile operator Vodafone has revealed that they’re working with the Church of England, and using Open Radio Access Network (OpenRAN) technology, to help extend 4G mobile (mobile broadband) into remote rural communities by deploying small base stations on top of 11 church bell towers across the country.

Two of the first locations include the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brompton Regis, Somerset (England), and St Michael’s & All Angels in Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, with a further nine, located across Dorset, Essex, Norfolk and Wiltshire, going live in the coming months.

Andrea Dona, Network and Development Director, Vodafone UK, said: “Churches are typically very tall, on high ground, and close to the community we’re trying to connect. This makes them the perfect place to install a mobile site, and now we’ve developed technology that’s small enough not to spoil the appearance of the church. Our aim is to use this cutting-edge technology to improve mobile coverage in as many rural locations as possible. This is an important step in ensuring rural communities can enjoy all the benefits of mobile connectivity.”

The new cell sites, which are also being supported by mobile coverage service partner Net CS, involve the deployment of “well-hidden boxes” (small cells) that have a 500-metre coverage radius. You can see a short video of this work below.

We should point out that the idea of deploying mobile and fixed wireless broadband kit on top of church spires/towers is nothing new and has been done many times before. In fact, the Church of England reached a related agreement with Cornerstone, the network sharing division of Vodafone UK and O2, all the way back in 2019 (here).