EE boosts City of London mobile coverage with added outdoor small cells

Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave has brought nearly 50 outdoor small cell sites live for mobile operator (MNO) EE in the Square Mile of the City of London, expanding coverage, and improving 4G and 5G connectivity.

The small cells comprise miniature mobile masts that are designed to offer performance boosts in high-demand areas thanks to their size, which makes them easy to install on everyday street infrastructure. These include the UK’s iconic red phone kiosks and digital street hubs, as well as lamp posts and other furniture.

EE began its push into small cells as a response to what it said was the challenge of an ever-more competitive market where quality of service is a key differentiator. In March 2022, it deployed 200 4G small cells across its UK network to boost capacity in high-demand areas, and in the next stage of its strategy in August 2024, the BT Group-owned UK mobile provider revealed it had deployed over 1,000 small cells across the UK, marking 400 new deployments in a 12-month period, including its first 5G sites in Croydon, London.

As part of its deployment strategy, EE says it uses “advanced” network analytics to identify specific locations that would benefit from the performance boost enabled by a small cell. It then works with partners Nokia and Ericsson to deploy a service itself. The result is said to be reduced congestion, enabling customers to benefit from speeds of up to 300Mbps for 4G cells and 600Mbps for 5G.

EE claims to be unique in Europe in combining licensed 1800MHz and 2600Mhz spectrum with unlicensed 5GHz spectrum in its 4G small cells, which it insists helps to deliver “excellent” capacity and speeds. The 5G cells in Croydon are configured with licensed 1800MHz spectrum for 4G and 3.5GHz for 5G.

With the deployment, EE is said to be looking to continue to enhance mobile connectivity for its customers in the historic financial Square Mile, with the latest sites adding to Freshwave’s previous delivery of 35 sites for the operator and a further 34 in build. The network uses what Freshwave calls a first-of-its-kind design, made to accommodate all of the MNOs on 4G and 5G from day one, with no adjustments needed to the infrastructure.

Outdoor small cells have been installed at street level, which Freshwave says makes them ideal for adding much-needed capacity to high-footfall areas. In busy urban environments, demand on the outdoor mobile network can be substantial. Small cells help alleviate some of this demand, relieving the outdoor network and ensuring a better experience for mobile users.

Mobile signals will be boosted for EE customers outside iconic city landmarks, including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Old Bailey and Guildhall, extending to areas surrounding the Barbican as well as along Fleet Street. EE says it is already seeing an average of 125TB of data downloaded per week across all of its Freshwave-deployed London sites.

James Hope, director of mobile radio access networks at EE, said: “As demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity continues to grow, we’re proud to be expanding our mobile network in the heart of the City of London. These additional sites will further boost performance and resilience for residents and visitors alike, with robust mobile connectivity being key to supporting the City’s digital future.”

Tom Sleigh, chairman of the planning and transportation committee at the City of London Corporation, added: “The Square Mile is a globally recognised centre for commerce, culture and innovation, and world-class digital infrastructure is vital to maintaining that position and increasing the city’s appeal.

“As more people expect seamless connectivity wherever they go, enhancing coverage across the City of London is an essential step to becoming future-ready. We’re delighted to see this kind of collaborative deployment taking shape in the City, and look forward to continuing to work with EE and Freshwave on delivering this transformation.” 

As well as developments in outdoor mobile signal, the Square Mile is also seeing accelerated deployment of in-building connectivity. Freshwave says it has provided indoor connectivity deployments across more than 5,000,000 sq ft of commercial building space in the City of London.