UK’s leading telco Virgin Media O2 has successfully deployed a pre-assembled mast in Sandwich, Kent. The carrier cooperated with Vecta Labs for the project, which is Europe’s first-ever mobile network mast.
The deployment was completed in four hours, lowering the time by up to 75% compared to the time a conventional setup takes.
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Why is this a milestone, though?
A pre-assembled mast is quite important, thanks to the nature of how cellular gears are put in place. Traditionally, engineers place antennas, cables, and other components on site. So, they have to do everything at height, which can also potentially involve some risks.
But during this project, Vecta Labs provided O2 UK with components that were assembled and tested before they were placed on the tower. Virgin Media O2 has said that this way of working ‘dramatically simplifies the installation process’ while also helping with quality control.
The telco shares that each unit is pre-assembled and validated with specialist equipment. The telco says that they are even exposed to simulated wind conditions to assess their capacity to withstand weather conditions.
“Moving one of the most complex parts of building a mobile mast into the factory is a real step forward for our network. It allows us to install sites faster, improve quality control, and ensure customers benefit from stronger, more reliable connectivity from the moment the site goes live,” said Steven Verigotta, director of mobile delivery at O2.
Going ahead, the telco seeks to deploy 100 of these pre-assembled telco gears across the UK as part of the £700m Mobile Transformation Plan.
John Bonello, director and founding member at Vecta Labs, stated: “This approach combines pre-assembly, precision RF testing, and simplified installation to help operators deploy infrastructure faster while maintaining the highest standards of performance.”