Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave continued to make big progress with urban small cell deployments, adding the UK city of Canterbury to its list through an ongoing tie-up with VMO2.

A quartet of 4G- and 5G-compatible small cells are involved, offering a boost to VMO2 mobile users in busy areas of the city centre.

Freshwave emphasised the discreet qualities of the equipment, a boon in terms of minimising the aesthetic impact in the historic city.

The deployment is being conducted in close collaboration with Kent County Council, the local authority in which Canterbury sits.

David Wimble, cabinet member for Economic Development and Special projects at the council, explained the authority is helping the deployment by providing access to “suitable council assets” as it seeks to provide the reliable connectivity it regards as “an essential part of modern life”.

The arrangement is one of more than 40 Freshwave has agreed with local authorities throughout the UK.

A previous small cell deployment for VMO2 covers the town of Guildford and Freshwave is a key player in a large-scale rollout in the city of Glasgow.

Mobile network operator account director Neil Barnes said such collaborations are “key to delivering mobile connectivity” and Freshwave’s approach shows “how local authorities and industry can work together to improve coverage” in areas with the greatest need.

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Verizon and Corning agreed a multi-billion dollar fibre supply deal covering more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fibre and connectivity products, running from 2027 to 2032.

The companies stated the agreement is designed to support surging demand for consumer broadband and converged services, alongside growing infrastructure needs from AI hyperscalers.

Verizon Business CEO Kyle Malady noted securing fibre at this scale allows the operator to build “the network of the future” at an unprecedented level, combining mobile connectivity and broadband into a single, converged architecture.

He said the deployment will also underpin the high-capacity, low-latency backbone required by AI hyperscalers.

The fibre supply is intended to accelerate Verizon’s progress toward a medium-term goal of 40 million to 50 million broadband passings, expanding fibre-to-the-home and business connectivity.

The operator stated the approach means cell towers, enterprise data centres and residential neighbourhoods will connect to the same high-capacity backbone.

Verizon framed the deal as central to its AI Connect strategy, which involves deploying dense fibre cabling across major long-haul corridors to directly connect data centres.

It said the approach positions it as an infrastructure partner for major AI hyperscalers, including Amazon Web Services, while also extending AI-related connectivity benefits to consumers, businesses, schools and communities.

The agreement builds on a three-decade partnership between Verizon and Corning. It is structured to let Corning continue expanding its US manufacturing capacity to supply the physical materials needed for Verizon’s buildout.

Corning Optical Communications SVP and GM Mike O’Day added the expanded partnership will help link AI data centres while also extending high-speed fibre access to homes.

US fibre
Corning also counts AT&T as a customer, having struck a $1 billion, multi-year fibre supply deal with the operator in October 2024 to support AT&T’s Gigapower fibre joint venture and broader broadband expansion plans.

The Corning agreement adds to a series of moves by Verizon to expand its fibre footprint. In July, Bain Capital and Tillman Global Holdings invested $1.5 billion in Eaton Fiber, Verizon’s exclusive wholesale fibre-building partner, to fund an acquisition of Ripple Fiber and accelerate network expansion to more than a million locations outside Verizon’s existing footprint.

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman has described that wholesale partnership model as a capital-efficient way to extend its fibre broadband reach.

Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile US are actively beefing up their fibre holdings through joint ventures, wholesale agreements and outright purchases of fibre-rich companies to support the convergence of mobile and fibre-based broadband services.

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O2 Business claimed to be the first operator in the UK to offer satellite services for companies with the launch of a direct-to-device (D2D) offer which extends the reach of its connectivity beyond its mobile network.

It pitched O2 Satellite for Business as helping companies and staff to stay connected in more places across the UK.

O2 Business pointed to government figures showing 526,000 registered businesses in England are based in rural areas, which the operator stated makes providing reliable connectivity beyond the reach of mobile networks critical.

The service initiates automatically when customers move beyond O2 Businesses’ mobile coverage, connecting compatible smartphones without the need for additional satellite hardware or apps.

O2 Business stated the service essentially extends landmass coverage from 89% to 95%, giving “businesses greater confidence that their people can stay connected when working in remote parts of the UK”.

Services on offer include messaging, maps, weather and location share.

It is free on O2 Business Ultimate mobile plans, or £2.50 per month for customers on Plus plans.

O2 Business added it tested the satellite service in “challenging real-world conditions”: it provided 100 compatible phones to crews tackling a recent major wildfire in the county of Derbyshire.

“Businesses increasingly rely on always-on connectivity, but work doesn’t stop where mobile coverage ends,” CEO Jo Bertram said.

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