• Deal to enhance 3G coverage across Glasgow city centre
• Innovative multi-operator system offers urban coverage to all mobile operators
• Antennas blend into local environment

Arqiva's Wireless Solutions division has signed an agreement with T-Mobile to provide 3G coverage via its innovative CityCell solution. The 10-year deal sees T-Mobile's 3G coverage enhanced across Glasgow's city centre via Arqiva's CityCell nodes - discreet, low power antennas specifically designed for urban use. 

Following comprehensive trials in Glasgow, T-Mobile signed the 10-year deal with Arqiva to provide a fully managed service - encompassing design, implementation and maintenance. CityCell's 12 street-level antennas connect back to a central base station ‘hotel' on existing optical fibre providing fast and secure connectivity. As a result, effective coverage and increased capacity can be provided discreetly via structures typically no more intrusive than a lamppost. Being a shared and fully managed service, the solution is regarded as ‘planning-friendly' as it provides expandable 2G and 3G coverage without the need for any additional infrastructure, with faults repaired by Arqiva within a minimum amount of time.

Debbie Dickinson-Tame, MD Wireless Solutions at Arqiva, commented: "We work closely with mobile operators to provide a core part of their service in urban areas: reliable, high-quality coverage and capacity. CityCell has been designed not only to meet mobile operators' demands for better urban coverage, but also to avoid any impact on the local environment. Our antennas are specially designed to be discreet enough to blend into the urban landscape while providing excellent coverage throughout busy streets and into buildings."

Graham Payne, Head of Rollout at T-Mobile, added: "We are committed to providing excellent 3G network coverage and capacity to our customers and Arqiva's CityCell solution helps us to achieve this aim. The fully managed nature of the service means that we can focus on providing the best possible customer experience in the confidence that Arqiva will provide excellent coverage and ample capacity to meet our customers' current and future requirements."