O2 to upgrade Haven holiday parks mobile networks

Recognising the crucial importance of high-quality connectivity to its guests, UK holiday site firm Haven has announced that it is working with leading UK mobile connectivity provider O2 and its connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service partner Freshwave to bring enhanced mobile connectivity to its parks.

As one of Britain’s leading family holiday companies Haven owns and operates 39 award-winning family holiday parks throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Haven sites are dotted around or near the coast, offering self-catering holidays, touring a camping holidays and holiday home ownership.

Since 2000, Haven has been part of Bourne Leisure, the largest privately owned holiday operator in the UK, which employs more than 16,000 team members during the peak season across its 58 venues located in some of the most beautiful beach and countryside locations in the British Isles.

The upgrades to O2’s network Bourne Leisure are taking place at 22 sites around the UK, looking to boost connectivity for those holidaying in the UK this summer. The first four upgraded sites, including Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire and Skegness Holiday Park in Lincolnshire, are now live, with additional parks set to follow throughout the summer.

“Our guests and owners expect to stay connected, whether it’s sharing memories, streaming entertainment or working remotely,” said James Bromley, chief product and technology officer at Haven. “I’m delighted that our investment in our parks has attracted O2 to ensure we’re delivering the best possible experience for families choosing to holiday or own at our parks.”

O2 said that with more than 48% of Brits planning a staycation this summer, the upgrades will significantly improve 4G and 5G coverage, ensuring guests enjoy faster, more reliable mobile service during their stay.

“With more people choosing to holiday in the UK, we are working to improve our mobile network in some of the most popular staycation destinations,” added Robert Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at O2. “This work with Haven is a great example of our Mobile Transformation Plan in action, bringing more reliable connectivity to the places people need it most. So, whether our customers are off to Skegness, Berwick or Cleethorpes, they can stay connected this summer.”

Freshwave is working as a neutral host to bring assured mobile connectivity to O2 customers across not just the Haven parks but also the neighbouring communities. “By combining technical expertise with a collaborative, partnership-led approach, we’re happy to help deliver business-enhancing value, improving both user experience and operational performance,” said Freshwave CEO Simon Frumkin.

The upgrades are part of O2’s Mobile Transformation Plan which will see the operator invest around £700m into its mobile infrastructure to future-proof the company’s mobile network and improve connectivity in high-demand areas across the UK. O2 recently went live with the first mobile small cells in the key resorts of St Ives and Newquay in Cornwall to give businesses an improved mobile connectivity experience and faster speeds.

O2 also recently announced that it had agreed a deal with Vodafone UK to acquire 78.8MHz of spectrum, bringing the operator’s total spectrum holding to approximately 30% of UK mobile spectrum and materially enhancing the company’s network position and improving connectivity in locations such as holiday sites.