Virgin Media O2 UK Expand Mobile Small Cells to Central Reading

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today continued with their effort to boost 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) capacity across the UK, not least by expanding their ongoing roll-out of small cells into the central part of Reading (town) in Berkshire – supported by Ontix.

Small cells are like mini shoebox sized mobile (radio) base stations, which have been designed to deliver limited coverage (usually up to around 80-120 metres) and thus tend to be more focused on busy urban areas and specific sites – it’s not uncommon to find these sitting on top of lampposts, CCTV poles or old payphone cubicles (i.e. they can be more cost-effective than building new street assets or trying to secure wayleaves on buildings etc.).

In this case the new small cells have been deployed in some of the busiest areas across the town, including at Reading Station, Reading College, Reading Museum, the Abbey Ruins, and the Oracle Shopping Centre. With over 20 million people passing through Reading Station and over 1 million through the Oracle Shopping Centre each year, the small cells will provide a crucial boost to network capacity for these high-footfall areas.

Steven Verigotta, Director of Radio & Mobile Backhaul Delivery at VMO2, said:

“Small cells are an effective way of increasing local network bandwidth in busy areas and play an important role in allowing us to keep up with customer demand.

With upgrade programmes underway right across our network, we’re working hard to ensure our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times.”

VMO2 has previously also worked closely with Ontix to deploy small cells in high-demand areas including London, Birmingham and the South East of England, as well as a recent deployment in Skegness. Not to mention their similar efforts alongside Freshwave and other partners.

As a side note, it’s worth reminding readers that Virgin Media and O2 recently used small cells as part of a trial with parent Liberty Global, which deployed 4G and 5G capable “smart poles” on top of their existing fibre broadband cabinets to help boost mobile network coverage and capacity (here). But there’s no mention of that playing a role in this deployment.