As one of the UK’s largest and busiest metropolitan areas, Birmingham required a future-ready connectivity solution capable of supporting growing mobile data demand, improving coverage in high-traffic locations and enabling emerging technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

The solution

Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG), a neutral host provider, deployed a city-wide small cell solution and secured access to thousands of Birmingham City Council-owned streetscape assets. This enabled the creation of a neutral host platform that can support multiple mobile network operators and technologies from a single infrastructure layer.

The network was initially deployed to support Three UK’s 5G services, creating the UK’s first large-scale 5G centralised radio access network (C-RAN). The small cell coverage solution features a future-proof, multi-operator architecture capable of supporting both standalone and non-standalone 5G deployments, while also providing the connectivity infrastructure required for Midlands Future Mobility’s CAV testing programme.

The benefits

• Enhanced mobile connectivity across Birmingham with high-capacity 4G and 5G coverage from Birmingham International Airport through to the city centre.
• Faster and simpler operator deployments through WIG’s neutral host model, reducing complexity for mobile operators.
• Future-ready infrastructure designed to support multiple mobile network operators, technologies and evolving 5G requirements.
• Sustainable deployment model leveraging existing street furniture and public assets to minimise disruption and maximise efficiency.
• Support for smart city innovation, including one of the UK’s largest real-world testbeds for connected and autonomous vehicles.