Cellnex Delivers First Consolidated 4G and 5G Mast Site for Vodafone and Three UK

Wireless infrastructure firm Cellnex has today announced that they’ve delivered the “very first” consolidated 4G and 5G mast site for the recently merged mobile operators of Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree) – five months ahead of schedule, which was established in the Lancashire (England) town of Burnley. Many more are expected to follow.

So far, most of the immediate post-merger network performance improvements have stemmed from VodafoneThree’s efforts to combine spectrum, as well as joint network roaming via their new Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) – all of which are being gradually deployed.

However, over time the merged operators will also be looking to consolidate some of their mast sites and exit from those they no longer need, which should reduce unnecessary duplication and cut costs. Containing both software and hardware improvements, the first such site to be consolidated like this – located in Burnley – is now said to be delivering “fast and reliable 4G and 5G coverage” to both Vodafone and Three UK customers.

The project involved a full baseband modernisation to boost capacity and performance, alongside the swapping of multiple antennas and radio units. It is the first of a number of sites, scheduled to be upgraded to directly support VodafoneThree’s recent merger commitment to “build the UK’s best network“.

Gianluca Landolina, CEO of Cellnex UK, said:

“We are honoured and committed to be supporting VodafoneThree in their journey to delivering the biggest privately funded telecom investment in the UK. The successful delivery of this first site in Burnley, ahead of schedule, is a powerful demonstration of this collaboration in action. Our role is to provide the stable, adaptable infrastructure, leveraging our neutral host solutions and national portfolio of sites. This builds the foundation for the UK’s digital future and gives VodafoneThree the confidence to execute ambitious, nation-building projects like this one.”

Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at VodafoneThree, said:

“Cellnex’s delivery of this first site ahead of schedule is fantastic news. VodafoneThree is investing in critical digital infrastructure to reach 99% population coverage with 5G Standalone by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034, laying the foundation for a more connected, innovative, and future-ready Britain. Having trusted partners such as Cellnex, who share our ambition, is essential to us achieving our mission to build the UK’s best network, and we look forward to continuing to work together.”

The combined business has previously stated that it aspires to reach more than 99.95% of the UK population with their 5G Standalone (5GSA) network by 2034 and push fixed wireless access to 82% of households by 2030, among other things.