Manchester city centre is set to enjoy improved mobile connectivity following a new agreement between Freshwave and Manchester City Council. Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave will install over 20 outdoor small cells for British telecommunications provider Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) in high-traffic areas of the city, including outside the Arndale Shopping Centre, Manchester Piccadilly Station, and Piccadilly Gardens, VMO2 said in a recent announcement.
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Benefits of Outdoor Small Cells
These small cells, attached to existing street furniture such as lampposts, will enhance 4G signals and be ready for 5G, boosting mobile capacity without adding street clutter. They will connect to Virgin Media O2's fibre network, alleviating network congestion and improving service quality.
Alignment with Manchester's Digital Strategy
Outdoor small cells help meet street-level demand, thereby alleviating strain on the broader network and delivering improved mobile service for customers, according to Virgin Media O2. A Manchester City Council councillor highlighted that the partnership with Freshwave and Virgin Media O2 aligns with Manchester's Digital Strategy for 2021-26, aiming to enhance communication, service access, and economic growth.
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Virgin Media O2 underscored their commitment to providing top-tier customer experiences, even in busy areas, stating, "Small cells are an integral part of this strategy, helping to enhance capacity for customers in some of the busiest areas."
Freshwave's Infrastructure Management
Freshwave says it manages sites in some of the UK's largest and most challenging wireless environments, including various central London boroughs and Docklands. They manage a network with over 5,000 mast site locations, connect over 2,000 buildings, and support more than 200 outdoor networks.
