EE UK Expand Freshwave’s Small Cell 5G Network in Central London

Wireless infrastructure provider Freshwave has revealed that EE UK have begun to expand their original trial deployment of a new small cell based outdoor 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) network in the central City of London area, which has since added 25 new sites to its coverage.

Small cells are akin to mini shoebox sized mobile 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. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find these sitting on top of lampposts, CCTV poles or old payphone boxes etc. The same sort of approach can also be adapted to help with indoor mobile coverage too.

EE began trialling Freshwave’s new outdoor small cell mobile network in the central ‘Square Mile’ area of London during 2022 (here). But this appears to have gone well, which has resulted in EE moving beyond the trial phase. The mobile operator has since put 25 new sites live in the central area to boost their network capacity and performance, with more set to follow.

Dozens of additional small cell sites for EE are currently being built and will enhance mobile connectivity in even more of the Square Mile when they are brought live in the future. The network being used here can also be harnessed by other operators, as Freshwave’s bespoke neutral host solution enables the network to accommodate all four MNOs on 4G and 5G from day one with no adjustments needed to the infrastructure.

Simon Frumkin, Freshwave’s CEO, said:

“We believe that multi-operator, shareable digital infrastructure is the future of mobile connectivity. Our unique approach allows the mobile network operators to enhance their networks where they need it most with minimal disruption for the surrounding communities and we’re looking forward to continuing to expand the network.”

James Hope, EE’s Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks, said:

“With our customers using more data than ever we’re committed to ensuring they enjoy the same great experience with EE in more places. Outdoor small cells are an important part of our mobile network and we’re happy to be extending our work with Freshwave using their cutting-edge approach.”

Across all of the sites involved in the initial pilot, EE is seeing up to 7.5TB (TeraBytes) of data downloaded per week.