Virgin Media Business, the arm of the British cableco focused on providing services to SMEs, larger enterprises, and the corporate and wholesale sectors, has successfully trialled new small cell technology in two of the country’s larger cities, delivering data speeds of up to 90Mbps. In a press release detailing the development, Virgin Media Business said that in a series of internet connectivity demos which took place in Newcastle and Bristol, it saw data transmission at rates typically three times as fast as those on 3G networks, both inside buildings and outside in public spaces. Such results prompted the operator to suggest that the pilot ‘proved that the signal is strong enough to reach into most buildings without interrupting user experience meaning that small cells could provide an answer to the rapidly accelerating demand for mobile broadband in urban areas’.
Commenting on the development, Kevin Baughan, director of wireless at Virgin Media Business, said: ‘We’re incredibly excited to be at the very forefront of small cell radio access network trials. In the future, cities will demand even faster connectivity and with mobile broadband set for explosive growth, small cells are offering a way forward that will rise to the challenge of superfast connectivity on the move’.