Small cell technology will provide people with more reliable mobile phone coverage at times when Swansea city centre is particularly busy.
Helping to tackle network congestion, the small cell sites have been introduced to boost the network capacity when needed so that people will be able to use their phones to make calls, send messages or go online when the city centre has more people visiting for events such as the Christmas parade and the Wales Airshow.
Delivered by Swansea Council in partnership with Freshwave and Virgin Media O2, the project is part of a broader effort to position Swansea as a leading digital city.
It’s been led by the council’s digital champions, who have worked closely with Freshwave, Virgin Media O2 and other council departments to ensure there was minimal disruption for businesses and city centre visitors while the works have been carried out.
The project is part of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s digital infrastructure programme that’s aimed at boosting digital connectivity throughout South West Wales.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader and Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee, said:
“We’ve all experienced times when we’re in busy places but can’t seem to send messages, make calls or use the internet from our phones because the network is too congested.
“This project is aimed at helping tackle that issue to meet the needs of residents and businesses.
“It also contributes to our ongoing commitment to make Swansea a digitally advanced city that will help attract more investment and jobs in future, while supporting innovation.
“We’re grateful to our partners Freshwave and Virgin Media O2 and for the support from the Swansea Bay City Deal's digital infrastructure programme.”
Neil Barnes, Head of Partnerships at Freshwave, said:
“We’re delighted to have played a role in this transformative project.
“The enhanced mobile connectivity resulting from Virgin Media O2’s investment will bring numerous benefits to the community and pave the way for future technological advancements.”
Pete Hollebon, Senior Planning Manager – Outdoor Small Cells, Virgin Media O2 – said:
“Small cells are an effective way of increasing local network bandwidth and play an important role in allowing us to keep up with rising customer demand. These new sites will improve the reliability of our network in Swansea and provide a better experience for customers.
“Our Mobile Transformation Plan will see us invest £700 million into our mobile network this year to ensure our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times.”
The project followed an open access agreement being signed, allowing mobile network operators to access and share council-owned assets for their digital infrastructure.
This is the first agreement of its kind in Swansea and the wider Swansea Bay City Region as a whole.
