EE has successfully deployed over 1,000 small cells across the UK, with 400 of these installations occurring in the last 12 months. This includes their first 5G small cell sites, recently established in Croydon, London.
Small cells are compact mobile masts designed to enhance performance in high-demand areas. Their small size allows them to be easily installed on common street infrastructure, such as BT’s iconic red phone kiosks, digital street hubs, lampposts, and other street furniture.
Over the past year, EE has expanded its 4G small cell network to various towns and cities, including Cardiff, Dundee, Luton, Norwich, and Stoke-on-Trent. Additionally, they have enhanced mobile capacity in popular summer destinations like Torbay and Cumbria. These street-level mini masts are crucial in boosting mobile capacity in busy locations.
Among the latest developments are the first 5G small cells, now live as part of a trial in the London Borough of Croydon. Seven sites, including four along Croydon’s London Road—a bustling area filled with businesses, shops, and residences—are now operational, handling over 3TB of data daily.
EE employs advanced network analytics to pinpoint locations that would benefit from the enhanced performance provided by small cells. Partnering with Nokia and Ericsson, EE deploys these solutions to alleviate congestion, allowing customers to experience speeds of up to 300Mbps on 4G cells and 600Mbps on 5G cells. EE is unique in Europe for its use of both licensed 1800MHz and 2600MHz spectrum in conjunction with unlicensed 5GHz spectrum for its 4G small cells, which ensures superior capacity and speeds. The new 5G small cells in Croydon utilize licensed 1800MHz spectrum for 4G and 3.5GHz for 5G.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, commented, “Small cells are a vital part of our mobile network, ensuring that even in the busiest locations, our customers can experience the full capabilities of the UK’s best network. Reaching 1,000 deployments, including our first 5G sites, underscores our commitment to providing unmatched mobile connectivity across the UK.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, added, “This is fantastic news for Croydon. We’re proud to be the first town in the UK to trial 5G small cells with EE, bringing cutting-edge mobile connectivity to our borough. These 5G small cells will enhance network capacity in high-usage areas, providing faster download speeds for our residents, businesses, and visitors.
