Birmingham's mobile landscape takes a significant leap forward as Virgin Media O2, in partnership with Ontix, activates its initial small cell installations across key sites in the city. This milestone marks a strategic move to bolster 4G network capacity, greatly enhancing the mobile experience for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

The deployment kickstarts an expansion initiative by Virgin Media O2, targeting high-demand regions to improve network capability and elevate customer satisfaction. The first wave of live small cells at Bath Row and Islington Row caters to the bustling Five Ways station, welcoming over a million yearly commuters, and enhances connectivity for attendees frequenting the vibrant Edgbaston Village markets and events.

With a roadmap outlining further deployments, the network boost will extend to pivotal areas such as the bustling Broad Street, attracting 23 million annual visitors, and the commercial hub along Snow Hill Queensway, ensuring an enriched mobile experience for Virgin Media O2 customers.

The collaboration between Virgin Media O2 and Ontix signifies a cost-effective approach to amplifying capacity in densely populated urban zones, mirroring their successful ventures in London, the South East, and more recently, Skegness. This rapid progress owes thanks to the support of Birmingham City Council and WM5G, allowing Ontix to leverage an Open Access Agreement to deploy small cells across 90,000 streetlights citywide, strategically elevating network performance for residents, tourists, and enterprises.

Richard Williams, Ontix's Director of Acquisition, expressed pride in pioneering this digital infrastructure investment in Birmingham, emphasizing its significance for the region's technological advancement. The collaboration, supported by local entities, reflects a commitment to an enhanced mobile landscape benefitting the city's businesses and residents.

Paul Kells, Senior Director for Network Strategy & Engineering at Virgin Media O2, emphasised their commitment to ensuring top-notch network experiences for their customers across the nation. This deployment forms a part of their broader network enhancement efforts, aiming to offer exceptional connectivity even during peak times.

Councillor Saima Suleman, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage, and Tourism at Birmingham City Council, welcomed this investment, highlighting its potential to significantly improve mobile experiences, supporting local businesses, and aligning with the city's digital aspirations.

Rhys Enfield, Director of Infrastructure Acceleration at WM5G, emphasised the critical role of small cells in providing robust mobile networks, attributing the rapid deployment to the Open Access Agreements. These agreements expedited the process, resulting in a swift transition to operational small cells, benefiting the city's connectivity landscape.