Ontix Signs Agreement with Sutton Council to Support Pioneering Approach to Boosting Mobile Phone Coverage

London, UK – 16th February, 2022 Ontix, the company delivering Next-Generation Wireless Infrastructure-as-a-Service, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Sutton Council that will enable it to improve the mobile phone coverage across the borough, providing a real boost to residents and local businesses.

Building on initial plans to improve digital connectivity within the borough, the Council is keen to let operators such as Ontix use council-owned assets such as lamp posts to deploy new small cell mobile infrastructure. This will boost connectivity and improve user experience of mobile devices within the borough.

This new form of open access agreement, among the first of its kind in the UK, will enable faster connectivity and greater capacity for mobile networks, remedying pockets of patchy and congested mobile coverage known as ‘not-spots’ whilst providing an operational and commercial framework which prioritises the swift deployment of digital infrastructure when and where it is needed.

Deployments of small cells are due to start in early 2022. This work will also act as a foundation to pave the way for greater 5G coverage in Sutton, as part of the commitments made in the council’s Digital Strategy.

Councillor Sunita Gordon, Lead Member for Resources, said: “I’m pleased to see us making good progress to improve the digital connectivity within Sutton. This will be a huge boost to residents, particularly those living, working or visiting the so called ‘not-spots’, and will also be a very welcome improvement to our infrastructure for local businesses.”

Antony Tomlinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Ontix, said: “The events of the last 18 months have demonstrated how critical connectivity is to modern life, enabling businesses to adapt and creating the backbone on which a ‘new normal’ has been realised. We are delighted to be working with Sutton, who have helped us to develop this agreement and the operational relationships and processes that we need to enable us to deploy small cells – delivering high quality connectivity throughout the Borough to residents and local businesses, in places where previously it may have been thought impractical or impossible.”

As part of its Digital Strategy, Sutton Council has published an in-depth explainer of what 5G mobile technology means for the London Borough of Sutton.