Visitors, residents, businesses, and students in Reading town centre will soon enjoy enhanced mobile experiences and faster speeds. This transformation follows the deployment of Virgin Media O2’s first small cells across the Borough, in partnership with Ontix.
The collaboration aims to boost mobile capacity and reduce network traffic in Reading’s busiest areas, including Reading Station, Reading College, Reading Museum, the Oracle Shopping Centre, and the Abbey Ruins. Given the significant foot traffic—more than 20 million people annually at Reading Station and over a million at the Oracle Shopping Centre—these small cells will play a pivotal role in maintaining network efficiency, benefiting both residents and visitors.
The small cells, known for their quick and easy deployment, provide Virgin Media O2 customers with improved coverage faster than traditional methods. This initiative complements ongoing rollout efforts across the country, signaling a broader strategy focused on enhancing mobile network performance.
Richard Williams, Director of Acquisition at Ontix, highlighted the importance of this innovation: “We’re proud to be the first Neutral Host company bringing small cells to Reading. Working closely with Virgin Media O2, we ensured the delivery of this project was speedy, cost-effective, and power-efficient. From local businesses, commuters, and university students to shoppers and tourists seeking cultural hotspots, small cells provide faster network speeds and reduced network congestion for all, and we’re excited to see the results of this across Reading.”
Virgin Media O2 and Ontix have successfully partnered on similar deployments in high-demand areas such as London, Birmingham, and the South East of England. They recently launched small cells in Skegness as well. This ongoing cooperation has proven to be a cost-effective solution for increasing network capacity in dense urban environments and commercial centers.
Steven Verigotta, Director of Radio & Mobile Backhaul Delivery at Virgin Media O2, emphasized the significance of small cell technology: “Small cells are an effective way of increasing local network bandwidth in busy areas and play an important role in allowing us to keep up with customer demand.”
He further underlined the company’s commitment to providing an exceptional network experience: “With upgrade programs underway right across our network, we’re working hard to ensure our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times.”
