Virgin Media O2 has partnered with infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave to deploy small cells in Guildford, UK.

In total, 13 4G and 5G outdoor small cells will be deployed in Guildford city center as part of an open access agreement with Surrey County Council. Nine are already live, noted Virgin Media O2.

Small cells are designed to enhance mobile capacity and reduce network congestion in densely populated areas.

They are typically fixed to existing street furniture, such as lamp posts, and seen as a simpler alternative to bulkier telecom infrastructure, which might look out of place or draw criticism from residents.

Virgin Media O2 stated that the small cells have been strategically placed in high-demand areas of Guildford's high street, around Guildford Castle, and near Guildford Station.

“This small cell deployment in Guildford is a great example of our £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan in action. We’re bringing faster, more reliable connectivity to busy public spaces to meet record network demand, with targeted deployments delivering real benefits for communities," said Professor Robert Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at O2.

It's not the first time the carrier has worked with Freshwave to deploy small cells in the UK, previously doing so in Cornwall in August and in Manchester last year. The carrier has also worked with Mavenir Telecom and Ontix to install small cells in other parts of the UK.

Earlier this year, Virgin Media O2 announced plans to invest £700 million ($933m) into its mobile network this year in an effort to improve its reliability, speed, and coverage across the UK.

The figure equates to around £2 million ($2.67m) a day, the operator said.

“In Guildford, our open access agreement with Surrey County Council, together with our partnership with O2, means faster rollout, less street clutter, and stronger connectivity for the community. It’s a smart, efficient way to support local needs while keeping the city’s character intact," added Neil Barnes, mobile network operator account director at Freshwave.

Open access agreements allow local authorities to retain control of their street assets while working with different mobile network operators (MNOs) and neutral hosts such as Freshwave.

To date, Freshwave has deployed more than 800 outdoor small cells across the UK for the country's MNOs.