More areas to benefit from council’s ground-breaking 4G deal

More residents, businesses and visitors in Croydon will soon benefit from better and faster mobile connectivity following the success of a landmark council deal to boost 4G coverage across all networks.

Working with leading UK network service provider Freshwave, additional small cells, which enhance 4G coverage, will be installed at over 40 new sites such as Norwood Junction station, Thornton Heath and Purley High Street.

The council’s open-access contract with Freshwave is a non-exclusive scheme that works with all phone providers to give residents, businesses and visitors improved mobile signal.
The first phase of Croydon’s 4G installation started last year when small cells were installed in central Croydon, making Croydon Council the first local authority to follow the approach set out in guidelines from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Freshwave installs 4G small cells onto shareable council-owned streetlamps, boosting the network for users in these high-demand locations and paving the way for 5G technology.

Improving mobile and broadband connectivity across Croydon is a priority in the council’s Digital Strategy, with benefits including greater productivity for local companies, more employment opportunities and attracting new businesses.
Croydon Council continues to have discussions with other telecoms companies interested in further developing the borough’s open-access 4G connectivity.


“We’re pleased that this programme has proved such a success and is now being extended so more local businesses, residents and visitors can benefit from improved mobile phone reception in Croydon.
“Mobile connectivity is key for the local economy, which is why it features in the council’s digital strategy and why we’ll continue to work in innovative ways to deliver it to the area.”
Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, cabinet member for communities, safety and business recovery
Simon Frumkin, CEO of Freshwave, said: “It’s great that this pioneering open-access approach has been such a success in Croydon. Smart cities need the right connectivity and the open-access model can really speed up the process for turning planned improvements into a reality that make a noticeable difference to local residents and businesses. We’re looking forward to our ongoing collaboration with Croydon Council.”

2022-06-16T13:35:57+01:00 August 26th, 2021|Recent news|