EE has begun switching on a network of 80 small-cell sites in the City of Westminster, working with neutral-host specialist Ontix under a long-running concession agreement with the local authority. Painted to match surrounding street furniture, each unit sits on existing lampposts and is connected back to EE’s core via fibre, creating a dense layer of capacity in streets that see more than 25 million visitors a year and play host to 50,000 businesses.
Unlike macro towers that spread coverage over wide areas, the lamppost nodes target specific traffic hotspots, off-loading 4G and 5G data to improve user experience during peak periods and after dark—an issue the council flagged repeatedly. Westminster’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, Cllr Geoff Barraclough, said the roll-out will help residents and tourists who “struggle to get a signal” despite being in the heart of the capital.
Ontix adopted a factory-style pre-staging process: each site was fully configured and tested before field teams arrived, cutting street-works time and minimising disruption on the narrow pavements of the West End, Whitehall and surrounding districts. Jamie Olejnik, Head of Delivery Operations, described the scheme as “a new benchmark” for rapid deployment of small cells in complex urban settings.
For EE the project is another step in its nationwide densification strategy. James Hope, the operator’s Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks, characterised Westminster as “one of London’s busiest areas” and highlighted the importance of targeted solutions to keep pace with data growth.
Small-cell concessions remain rare in the UK, but Westminster’s model shows how councils can unlock revenue from street assets while accelerating mobile upgrades. With Ofcom preparing to consult on mmWave spectrum later this year, TowerXchange expects similar neutral-host partnerships to gain traction in other dense urban centres where rooftop and macro options are limited.
