New Vodafone 5G Mast Design Could Cut Number of UK Masts
Mobile operator Vodafone has recently begun to introduce a new space-saving “Quad Stack” design of 5G mast across parts of Greater London, which is not only intended to help improve mobile broadband speeds but could also contribute to actually reducing the number of masts and the number of street-level equipment cabinets in some areas.
Let’s face it, mobile masts aren’t exactly the most popular items of street furniture these days, particularly when it comes to those larger towers that are more typically found in remote rural areas. But in urban locations, it often makes sense to use more compact and discreet monopoles, particularly with so many big buildings around (not all such buildings are viable for alternative rooftop sites) that can otherwise seriously impede an operator’s signal.
The difficulty with smaller monopole style masts is that, in order to spread your coverage, you often have to build quite a few of them and fitting everything you need to deliver a good service on top of such a relatively small space is extremely difficult.
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The good news is that Vodafone’s engineers have recently been introducing a new “Quad Stack” mast design. Unlike older masts (single stacks), just one quad stack mast can support 2G, 4G and 5G together, thanks to the latest construction techniques and space-saving technology. For example, multiple fibre optic cables can now be combined into a single ribbon cable with a compact connector, while the street cabinets have also been rationalised and reduced in number.
At present, Vodafone only appears to have been deploying these across the Greater London area, as they have been designed to withstand the wind shear typical to that part of the country, although you may well start to see them popping up elsewhere soon too.
However, we have our doubts about whether these will actually lead, as Vodafone suggests, to an overall reduction in mast numbers across urban areas. This is because mobile operators are increasingly adopting higher mobile frequencies, which tends to require such networks to increase their density in order to counteract for the weaker signals of such bands. In that sense, the new masts may at least help to keep the number of such sites down, rather than allowing them to grow.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Is there any reason these couldn’t be integrated somehow into lamp posts to reduce the number of poles in an area.
Aside from making the lamp post look quite bizarre (i.e. really tall, with the light halfway up and lots of kit higher above), there are likely to be issues with location, access to data capacity and different deployment models between different companies. Not to mention any differences in planning / permission rules for such structures, which would complicate the deployment. But we do see mobile kit like small cells being placed on lamp posts, albeit in a very limited way (not comparable to this).
Not really…
As Mark said, there are small cells used but in very limited locations. That can’t maximise coverage as those small cell boxes aren’t capable like the main cells on the masts.
The four operators should certainly make more use of small cells.
No, because then you will have people setting lampposts alight 🙂
https://youtu.be/z4bRhIrg5NE?si=AHDg53EijcAIXph8
These used to be integrated into streetlamps years ago on Orange I believe. They still exist to some extent, but nowhere near as common.
Usually equipped with 2G G18, 4G L18 (assuming EE U21 too) as well as Three U21.
Already available from Alphawireless look on youtube Alphawireless ‘small cell fusion platform’
but for some reason the networks dont have them. Three couldve done with the lampost ones as Three have the most rejected monopole planning applications by UK ‘smart’ councils.
Isn’t that picture the same as what Three/EE were doing with their combined masts?
Pretty much
Sort of. Three & EE have their 5G cells on the top row. O2 & Vodafone have their 5G cells in the bottom row.
The CTIL AAUs are on the top row?
I do like the Phase 8 style of masts & cells. Double g triple stacking can help with coverage & capacity.
I don’t think the operators make use of taking advantage of higher power / max allowed power.
Any design to maximise coverage in addition to hight is welcome.
Looks like something from North Korea, are these ‘designers’ complete morons?
Yep
I wish they would fix the “5G Ultra” first. How come it’s slower than the legacy network ????
this is completely normal for 5G SA to be slower then 5G NSA
What capacity do these have for O2 and Vodafone by the way? I assume they have to be deploying a decent amount of capacity, but I have no clue.