The shoebox-sized mini-mast installed on the Six Bells Pub in Beenham brings more reliable Vodafone 4G to the countryside business and its customers.
Vodafone has joined forces with the Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group (DIG) to bring Vodafone 4G coverage to a rural Berkshire community.
A small OpenRAN box has been installed on the Six Bells Pub in Beenham to ensure customers visiting the pub and the nearby area can enjoy a strong and reliable Vodafone 4G connection. The box, about the size of a shoebox, has been place on the pub’s chimney stack.
Vodafone became the first UK mobile operator to switch on a live OpenRAN site in August 2020, with communities across the UK now benefiting from the technology. These include some rural villages where the technology has been installed on church bell towers.
Heavens above! Church bell towers are ringing in better rural 4G
Vodafone, alongside the Church of England and Net CS, is using the latest technology to unobtrusively provide better 4G signal in rural communities.
Mobile connectivity continues to play a vital role in supporting rural economies. However, mobile network operators can struggle to gain planning permission for required masts, particularly in rural locations. OpenRAN is a new way of building a mobile site that can be smaller, lighter and more energy efficient, perfect for use in rural or remote communities.
The placement of the technology on the Six Bells, followed conversations between the Six Bell’s landlord Nigel Hopes and the Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), leading to Berkshire DIG contacting Vodafone, whose headquarters are in nearby Newbury. Vodafone then installed the box in a matter of weeks. Following ongoing conversations with the wider community, the group are now looking to expand the coverage further by asking other Beenham residents and community hubs to ‘adopt’ their own OpenRAN box.
Mobile phone masts: Everything you need to know
Finding suitable sites, securing planning permission, and building mobile phone masts is more of a tricky and time-consuming business than you may have realised. Our Q&A explains why.
Peter Rodriguez, Vodafone UK’s South Regional Manager said: “We are excited about the potential of the technology in Beenham. Mobile connectivity is essential for communities and businesses to thrive.
“However, rural and remote locations may miss out due to the complexity of delivering network coverage, the geography of the area or difficulties with obtaining the relevant planning permissions.
rural and remote locations may miss out due to the complexity of delivering network coverage, the geography of the area or difficulties with obtaining the relevant planning permissions
“Being able to help this community, right on our doorstep, with our latest small cell technology is something we jumped at the chance to do. I’d like to thank The Six Bells for offering to host the trial and I look forward to seeing the transformation it brings to their business and the wider Beenham community.”
Lynne Wilson, Programme Manager, Digital Infrastructure Group commented: “We are delighted to partner with Vodafone on this initiative, and we believe that the positive impact of improved mobile connectivity will extend beyond communication to drive economic growth and business opportunities in the area”.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on Twitter and signing up for News Centre website notifications.
