A new guide to help Local Authorities understand how small cells can support better mobile connectivity in towns and cities has been published by trade organisation Small Cell Forum (SCF). The guide is the first published resource from SCF’s Local Authority Connectivity Group, launched in February to bring councils and the wireless industry together to address practical barriers to small cell deployment. The group includes council representatives from Cambridgeshire, Glasgow, Oxfordshire and Shropshire, alongside SCF member companies Wireless Infrastructure Group and BT Group.

Reliable mobile connectivity increasingly underpins how towns and cities function, supporting everything from payments in high street shops to mobile working, and from visitors checking travel updates to residents accessing digital public services. Small cells can add targeted mobile network coverage and capacity where the existing network needs support, but deployment can depend on access to local assets, clear council processes and coordination between different Local Authority teams.

The downloadable Guide to small cell connectivity for Local Authorities: Part 1 provides an introduction to what small cells are, how they can help with connectivity, how they are deployed, and the role Local Authorities can play in supporting this deployment.

It covers considerations including identifying priority locations, making suitable public assets more discoverable, establishing clear routes for engagement with operators and infrastructure providers, and coordinating teams including planning, highways, lighting, estates, legal and digital infrastructure.

Simon Fletcher, Chief Strategy Officer of Small Cell Forum, said:

“Better mobile connectivity can support many Local Authority priorities, but deployment also brings practical challenges. Through the Local Authority Connectivity Group, councils with experience of successful small cell deployments are working directly with industry experts to help shape guidance and resources for other Local Authority teams. The new guide is the first resource to come from that collaboration.”

Alongside the guide, SCF has created a dedicated webpage giving councils a central place to access the guide, further information and future resources.

SCF is now developing a second guide which will look in more detail at the practical steps and considerations for Local Authorities moving towards deployment. Local Authority teams can register now to be among the first to receive it when it is published.

The Local Authority Connectivity Group remains open to UK Local Authority employees free of charge, providing a forum to learn from other councils, engage with the wireless industry and share the practical issues they are encountering.

Download Part 1, register for Part 2 and access information for Local Authorities:
www.smallcellforum.org/small-cells-for-local-authorities

To sign up for email updates from the Local Authority Connectivity Group, or to get involved visit www.smallcellforum.org/local-authority-connectivity-group