EE has installed mini-masts on lamp-posts and phone boxes in Edinburgh to boost mobile coverage in the busiest areas of the city.
It can also use any BT digital Street Hubs in the city.
The “small cells” are now delivering improved 4G capacity in high demand areas. EE has worked with partners such as The City of Edinburgh Council and Nokia to help coverage around The Royal Mile, University of Edinburgh, Princes Street, Chambers Street at the National Museum of Scotland and in the West End.
Some 14 masts are live in Edinburgh with four more to go live by next week.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Visitors to the festival are increasingly using their smartphones for electronic ticketing, searching programme listings, booking tickets on the go, and navigating to the various venues. Many of these are things visitors will be able to do from the new official EdFringeapp. People are also keen to share their experiences with friends and family and social media throughout the festival.
“All of this depends on having good access to mobile networks. It’s vital therefore that the city’s mobile networks can cope with this significant increase in demand during the summer. We welcome any steps like these new mini mobile masts to help boost network capacity in these busy locations.”
James Hope, Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks at EE, said: “Edinburgh is a prime example of a city that can benefit from these small cell masts. The city is said to be built on seven hills and has plenty of old buildings, all of which pose a challenge to mobile coverage. It also sees huge peaks in mobile traffic in confined areas during major events. Small cells help customers continue to benefit from our fastest 4G speeds, even at the busiest times and in the most congested of locations.
“Our new digital Street Hubs also have the potential to help increase the number of small cells in the city. We’ll continue to discuss our plans with the council and we hope that Edinburgh will join other cities, such as Glasgow and Birmingham, where our new Street Hubs are already providing communities with the digital facilities needed for the future.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
