Virgin Media O2 customers will see a boost in their 4G mobile service in the UK’s second city as small cells go live in key sites across Birmingham

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 20, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Residents, businesses and visitors in Birmingham have received a major boost to their mobile services after the first Virgin Media O2 small cells go live across some of the busiest sites in the UK’s second largest city.

Working with its partner Ontix, the deployment marks a growth in the number of small cells deployed by Virgin Media O2 nationwide, boosting 4G network capacity in high-demand areas and improving customer experience.

The first sites are now live in Bath Row and Islington Row, improving network capacity for the busy commuters arriving at Five Ways station, which receives over 1 million visitors annually, and for the thousands who spend time at the markets and events in Edgbaston Village each year.

With more deployments planned in the coming months, Virgin Media O2 customers will see a significant boost to their service in other key areas of the city centre. This will include Birmingham’s most dynamic entertainment destination, Broad Street, which attracts 23 million visitors each year, and the heart of the business quarter on Snow Hill Queensway.

Virgin Media O2 has been working closely with Ontix to deploy small cells as a cost-effective solution to boost capacity in dense urban areas. Previously, the operator and Ontix have worked together to rollout small cells in London and the South East, as well as a recent deployment in Skegness.

The speed at which Virgin Media O2 and Ontix could deliver this project was only made possible with the support of Birmingham City Council and WM5G, who signed an Open Access Agreement with Ontix giving them permission to deploy small cells onto assets from a base of over 90,000 streetlights throughout the city. By strategically placing them in key areas of high demand, Virgin Media O2 is improving its network for residents, visitors and businesses.

Richard Williams, Director of Acquisition for Ontix said: “I’m delighted that Ontix has been able to become the first Neutral Host company to bring VMO2 small cells to Birmingham. As someone that grew up in the city, Birmingham holds a very special place in my heart, and I’m delighted to have played a small part in securing such a significant investment in new digital infrastructure for the region.”

“We’re proud to have worked closely with Virgin Media O2 to complete a streamlined and cost-effective end to end delivery of this project, and are grateful for the ongoing support of Birmingham City Council and WM5G for the Open Access Agreement that allows us to improve network capacity in key areas of the city.”

Paul Kells, Senior Director for Network Strategy & Engineering at Virgin Media O2, said: “With the largest small cell network of any major operator in the UK, we understand how effective they can be in boosting local network capacity in busy areas.”

“With upgrade programmes underway right across our network, we’re working hard to ensure our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times.”

Councillor Saima Suleman, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism at Birmingham City Council said: “We welcome the investment made by Virgin Media O2 and Ontix to improve the mobile connectivity for our city. This promises to improve the mobile experience in the busiest areas at peak times in Birmingham and will make a significant difference for our local businesses and residents and builds on our Digital Birmingham commitment to position the city as a leading international digital city.”

Rhys Enfield, Director of Infrastructure Acceleration at WM5G, said: “The need for fast, reliable internet connections and increased capacity has never been greater. Small cells have a key role to play providing secure, reliable mobile networks but the administrative process typically takes more than 12 months to complete. The Open Access Agreements helped us bring this down to just under two months and we’re delighted to now see the first small cells going live.”

-ENDS-

About Ontix

Ontix is a next-generation infrastructure-as-a-service provider, disrupting the business model for delivering lightning-fast connectivity wherever it is needed. Ontix makes it cheaper, easier and quicker for mobile operators and wireless network providers to add next-generation wireless networks through its turnkey solutions. Ontix is transforming the entire process for wireless network densification by investing in shared small cell infrastructure – including connectivity – and licensing this to operators.

About Digital Birmingham

Digital Birmingham is a city-wide collaboration that is transforming Birmingham into a leading digital city. We are aiming to make the city a better place to live, work, and visit. Creating a more prosperous, connected and sustainable city for everyone. Building our digital future, together.

Jake Galland
Think Feel Do
+44 7780 866874
email us here