- EE activates 25 new small-cell sites in the Square Mile
- Freshwave’s shared infrastructure boosts 4G and 5G coverage
What happened: EE extends small-cell network across City to enhance mobile access
EE has activated 25 new small-cell sites across the City of London, built on infrastructure from Freshwave. This follows a successful pilot and supports both its 4G and 5G service. The fresh deployments span key locations including outside St Paul’s Cathedral, Cannon Street, and the Bank of England on Threadneedle Street.
Freshwave’s neutral-host model enables multiple operators to share wideband antennas, street cabinets, columns, and dark-fibre networks—delivering efficient upgrades without repeated streetworks or visible clutter. In the initial pilot, EE recorded up to 7.5 TB of data downloaded weekly, indicating strong user demand. Additional site rollouts are already underway to expand coverage throughout the Square Mile.
Also read: EE launches stream mode via WiFi Enhancer service
Also read: EE launches standalone 5G core across UK
Why it’s important
This expansion shows that shared infrastructure can quickly improve mobile coverage in crowded city areas. Small-cell systems reduce pressure on large networks during busy times. They also give users better performance. EE’s rollout shows a simple way to grow city networks. It matches the rising need for data-heavy services and fast response. The model is low cost and creates little disruption. It may also guide future projects in other cities.
