Virgin Media O2 said that the first 5G SA small cells in the U.K. had been recently deployed in central Birmingham
U.K. carrier Virgin Media O2 claimed to be the first operator in the country to switch on 5G Standalone (5G SA) small cells.
In a release, Virgin Media O2 said it has successfully installed 5G SA small cells in central Birmingham, boosting mobile connectivity for customers in some of the city’s busiest areas.
The carrier noted that these compact small cells have been installed on existing street furniture, specifically targeting areas where demand for data is highest.
These 5G SA cells have been delivered in partnership with Ontix and Alpha Wireless, using Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology.
Virgin Media O2 launched its 5G standalone network earlier this year. The carrier’s 5G SA network is now live in more than 300 towns and cities across the U.K.
Jeanie York, CTO at Virgin Media O2, said: “Small cells are playing a vital part in our mission to bring reliable mobile coverage to all customers and improve services in the busiest areas.”
“Having already turned on our 5G SA network in more than 300 towns and cities, available to customers at no extra cost, we’re working hard to ensure all our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times,” the executive said.
In February, Virgin Media O2 had announced the activation of its 5G SA network in 14 cities across the U.K. The telco said its 5G SA network was initiatially available in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Lincoln, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham and Slough.
At the time of the launch, Virgin Media O2 said its 5G SA will increase network capacity, cut latency and support a massive increase in the number of connected devices. This new network deployment will also enable new use cases associated with 5G, including autonomous transport solutions, remote healthcare and fully robotic factories. It will also enable network slicing and pave the way for Virgin Media O2 to offer dedicated services for services like augmented reality, gaming, advanced robotics and other business use cases.
Virgin Media O2 had launched services in June 2021 as a joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica in the U.K.
Liberty Global and Telefonica had reached an agreement to merge their U.K. operations in a 50-50 joint venture in May of 2020. That same month, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decided to allow the proposed merger between mobile operator O2 and Virgin Media.
