The 10-year contract will see the neutral host giant build a dedicated mobile network, comprising a 5G core and radio access network, in Basingstoke’s central business district, Basing View. 

The announcement marks a first major wireless network deal with a UK council for Cellnex following its acquisition of Finnish wireless private networks specialist Edzcom earlier this year. Cellnex said that following this deployment it will have set up more than 35 private wireless networks across Europe including ports, airports, mines and manufacturing plants.

Cellnex will develop a 5G private network providing indoor and outdoor connectivity across the 100 companies located in Basing View and support a 5G Living Lab, where industry partners can “foster innovation” by providing a range of use cases, including smart city and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, immersive retail and leisure, artificial and virtual reality. The project is supported by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership and the University of Surrey 5G Innovation Centre.

Council Leader Ken Rhatigan said: “5G technology is going to transform the way we all live our lives and deliver significant benefits for our borough’s businesses and encourage more businesses to come and grow here. 

“I am delighted that we have been able to continue our strong track record of partnership with the private sector to attract significant investment to ensure our borough remains a great place to live and work and cement our reputation as a top tech town. We look forward to working with Cellnex and Enterprise M3 to bring our 5G vision to reality.”

IoT networks 

Alongside the Basingstoke deal, Cellnex has also announced plans to launch a range of IoT networks across the UK alongside Everynet. 

The IoT networks are based on low-power wide-area network (LoRaWAN) technology and will be deployed on Cellnex UK’s extensive telecommunications infrastructure networks and rely on Everynet’s carrier-grade and secure IoT network solution.

According to Cellnex, this coverage will facilitate numerous services, including tracking or monitoring assets throughout supply chains and Smart Parking solutions.

David Crawford, managing director of Cellnex UK, said: “There has been a lot of talk and promises made about ‘the internet of things (IoT)’ and ‘Smart Cities’ and how these will change our lives. IoT will be a catalyst for growth, and with Everynet, Cellnex will provide the infrastructure which is key to making the path to Smart Cities and digital industry practical and profitable.”