John Bonello, director at Vecta Labs, told RCR Wireless News that the pre-assembled mobile masts for UK carrier O2 are designed to scale across different deployment scenarios
In sum – what to know:
Faster deployment – Pre-assembled masts cut installation time from days to hours by shifting integration and testing off-site.
Improved reliability – Factory validation enhances performance consistency and reduces installation errors and maintenance complexity.
Scalable approach – The method supports large-scale rollout and adapts to increasingly complex 5G and future network configurations.
U.K. carrier O2 has deployed what it describes as Europe’s first pre-assembled mobile site, introducing a new approach to building and installing network infrastructure aimed at reducing deployment time and improving consistency.
The first installation took place in Sandwich, Kent, where a fully pre-configured mobile mast was installed in around four hours, compared to the typical two-day process for conventional sites. The deployment forms part of the operator’s £700 million ($937 million) mobile transformation plan, under which more than 100 similar sites are expected to be rolled out across the U.K. this year.
Traditionally, mobile site deployment requires engineers to assemble and configure antennas, radios and cabling on site, often involving hundreds of individual connections. O2 said that these pre-assembled masts shifts much of this work into a factory environment. Equipment is assembled, integrated and tested before delivery, reducing on-site complexity and limiting the need for work at height, it added.
The masts, developed in collaboration with Australian firm Vecta Labs, allows each unit to be validated using controlled testing processes. These include radio performance measurements in anechoic chambers and simulated environmental conditions such as wind stress. Passive radio frequency components are also tested for interference issues, including Passive Intermodulation (PIM), before installation.
By completing these processes in advance, the number of on-site connections can be reduced significantly—from around 100 cables to as few as six—lowering the risk of installation errors and shortening deployment timelines. The approach is intended to support faster network expansion while maintaining consistent performance across sites, according to the U.K. telco.
The model is designed to scale across different deployment scenarios. “The pre-assembly platform we have developed is designed for volume manufacturing and has the flexibility to cater for different site configurations and different radio ad component vendors,” John Bonello, director at Vecta Labs told RCR Wireless News.
Beyond deployment speed, the approach may also influence long-term network performance and maintenance. “Because our system is factory built and tested, the long-term performance and reliability is significantly improved. In the case maintenance is required, components of the pre-assembled system can be easily replaced on site and this is made easier for maintenance teams since the configuration of each site is clearly defined,” Bonello said.
As networks evolve to support additional spectrum bands and more complex configurations, pre-assembly could become more widely adopted. “As more frequency bands are introduced and the complexity of sites builds increase, it becomes essential to test each sector as a system prior to installation to achieve as designed network performance,” he added.
The deployment reflects a broader shift in telecom infrastructure toward industrialized and standardized build processes, as operators look to accelerate rollouts and manage increasing technical complexity.
Earlier this year, Virgin Media O2 said it had expanded its 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile network to more than 500 locations across the U.K. Virgin Media O2 launched its 5G SA network in February 2024.
