Using OpenRAN (Open Radio Access Network) technology, Vodafone are working alongside the Church of England to help extend mobile broadband via 4G for those in rural parts of the UK. They are doing this by utilising 11 church bell towers as base stations for the deployment of this small bits of kit.
Which Rural Communities Will Benefit From These Church-Based 4G Base Stations?
The first to be installed were Brompton Regis (Blessed Virgin Mary Church) in Somerset and Ewyas Harold (St Michael’s and All Angels) in Herefordshire.
9 further church-based 4G base stations will be going live over the next few months across the following counties:
Dorset
Essex
Norfolk
Wiltshire
Why Do Churches Make Good Base Stations for 4G Mobile Broadband?
Generally speaking, churches are tall buildings that are often found on high ground, as well as being at the heart of communities. This makes them the ideal location to install a mobile site to help boost 4G mobile broadband connectivity for these communities.
Even better, current technology means that the base stations are small enough to not spoil the architecture and tone of the churches themselves.
Vodafone’s aim is to use this technology to improve connectivity and better reach these rural communities that struggle so much with traditional broadband. 4G mobile broadband via these church-based base stations could be a huge step forward in connectivity for rural communities across the country.
Rural communities deserve to access good, strong, reliable internet speeds like anyone else, and boosting 4G mobile broadband in this way could be just the thing to deliver it.
How Do These 4G Base Stations on Churches Work?
These 4G mobile broadband base stations are called new cell sites and involve small cells in the form of well-hidden boxes being employed on church towers.
These new cell sites have a coverage radius of 500 metres, so are ideal to serve the community based around the church itself which is usually close by.
The Idea of Church-Based 4G Base Stations is Actually Nothing New
Church spires and towers have been identified as a prime place for bits of mobile and fixed wireless broadband kit before, so this idea is nothing new. It’s been done many times before!
A previous agreement between the Church of England and Cornerstone (Vodafone UK and O2’s network sharing division) was made back in 2019.
But while the premise might not be new, we still think any action taken to improve the connectivity of rural communities across England and the UK is a great step towards access to reliable broadband for all.
Do You Need Wi-Fi Assistance?
For Wi-Fi and Mobile Broadband Assistance for your business across Hampshire, Cardiff and London, get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. Our experienced and professional engineers are on hand to help with your Wi-Fi woes as well as determine if 4G mobile broadband could be a viable option for you.
Research commissioned by Three found that issues with poor connectivity were costing SME’s in Britain £18.77 billion per year.
Research found that small to medium sized businesses (including micro businesses) in the UK who give employees work phones are losing out on over 1 hour of work time per employee, per week. Poor connectivity leads to employees being unable to get online or complete their work effectively.
1 hour per week per employee may not sound like a big deal on the face of it, but for medium sized businesses, this equates to 250 hours of working time being lost every single week.
This loss of working time has a bigger impact on things than you may think. In partnership with YouGov and Development Economics, Three’s research found that:
The British economy is significantly impacted by loss of business revenue. The amount of economic output lost is estimated to be £7.7bn per year.
The cost of poor connectivity hits the professional and retail sectors the harders
Businesses are already facing challenging times – almost 75% of SME’s are reducing costs
Which industries are hit hardest by poor connectivity?
Two of the largest sectors in the British economy were hit the hardest with poor connectivity – Retail, and Professional Services (including legal, accounting and media businesses).
How much revenue is lost in these sectors due to poor connectivity?
Professional Services – Loss of £5.3 billion per year (annual output loss of £2.8bn to the economy)
Retail – Loss of £3.7 billion per year (annual output loss of £560m to the economy)
Connectivity isn’t the only challenge for SME’s
SME’s aren’t just facing a challenge with poor connectivity – They’re also facing challenges with the cost of living crisis and talent shortages.
SME’s are also feeling the heat of rising costs, with 71% looking at where they need to reduce spending. 32% of SME’s are looking to cut costs on things like phone contracts, which they believe they are spending too much on.
29% of SME’s (and 48% of medium sized businesses) also worry about losing employees due to not having good technology, which is cause for concern when there is also a shortage of talent in the majority of industries.
Combine all of this with poor connectivity causing problems with work effectiveness and you can see why it’s causing a bit of a headache for small and medium sized businesses.
Do SME’s need more tech support?
In order to operate, grow and thrive in business, it is absolutely vital for SME’s to have a strong online connection.
36% of SME’s believe that better mobile phone connectivity would enable them to perform better. 1 in 5 SME’s are also concerned that their business could get left behind if they don’t know how to use the latest mobile phone technology.
Unfortunately, almost 50% of SME’s feel that the tech industry uses complex language that makes it difficult to understand the latest technology, creating a barrier for these businesses without proper support and knowledge.
What can be done to provide SME’s with tech and connectivity support?
It seems that many tech schemes and concepts are aimed at larger corporate structures, failing to meet the needs of SME’s in a more cost effective way. It’s so important for tech providers to recognise the needs of SME’s and tailor their services to meet them. SME’s need simple, straightforward tech offerings with a level of service that large corporates would expect.
For a business to be able to perform and for their employees to effectively do their jobs, it all comes down to connectivity.
For most businesses, connectivity is the core of it all – Poor connectivity is simply not an option. It’s imperative for SME’s to carefully consider the options available to them when it comes to connectivity, tech and mobile. They need a simple, cost effective option that leaves them in control.
The research outlined above just goes to show how poor connectivity can really hold a business back. Research from The Federation of Small Businesses found similar results which showed that 45% of small businesses experience unreliable voice connectivity (going up to 57% in rural areas).
SME’s are a big part of the UK economy. To see growth and productivity, we need strong and reliable digital, mobile and vocal connectivity. That includes 4G and 5G accessibility for all.
Can Geekabit Help?
If you are a SME and are struggling with poor connectivity, then call in the experts. Our experienced Wi-Fi engineers can help at any stage of network deployment – From site surveys to design to installation.
We’re only a phone call away, and can help get your business properly connected.
Thinking you’re too rural? We’ve got 4G for that! Our mobile and satellite broadband options could be just the thing you’re looking for.
Networking and Media Converters have gone hand in hand right from the start. They play a vital role when it comes to solving interconnection problems in networks.
If you oversee a business network (or one in a large home) then you probably already use this handy device. But are you using the media converter correctly?
What is a media converter?
A media converter is a networking device that allows you to connect one type of communication protocol cable to another different type of cable. For example, connecting a twisted pair to fibre optic cable.
By connecting two different media, like Ethernet copper and Ethernet fibre, they can typically connect devices that are beyond 100 metres from the nearest available switch.
The reach of the copper port can be extended with a copper to fibre converter by connecting a copper port on an Ethernet switch to the fibre that connects the device in the remote location.
The ability to do this provides great flexibility when building and connecting networks, easily connecting fibre and copper cables.
A media converter is usually a two-port device equipped with a copper interface on one side and a fibre interface on the other side.
Another key building block within a network are Switches. They enable you to connect multiple devices, such as computers, wireless access points, printers, and servers; All on the same network within a building or campus. A switch enables connected devices to share information and talk to each other.
Switches are mostly made up of LAN ports which are usually copper Ethernet with a few fibre-based uplink ports. They are also often SFP-based (small form-factor pluggable used for data communication). The copper ports are used to connect devices within a short-range (up to 100 metres) while the SFP uplinks can connect devices that are further away (which would be useful for other switches and/or servers).
The goal for any well-designed network is to use all the available uplinks. This maximises throughput. Oftentimes, spare LAN ports are kept in order to be able to easily connect new devices in the future. However this only works well if the device is within 100 metres from the switch. It can also cause problems if it is in a ‘noisy’ environment – A copper cable can be susceptible to electromagnetic interference.
In what sort of situation could we see these issues arise?
A computer placed in a remote location
An access point in an outdoor area
A video surveillance camera
An access control system far from the last switch,
For instances where the LAN must be extended over 100 metres, you will require a network extender, and a media converter would be the ideal solution.
To extend a network to a distant location, you would use a fibre connection from the switch and a media converter to connect to the device.
The remote device problem is solved with the Ethernet link providing a very long reach thus extending the connection. It also saves you from having to add other switches to the network.
How Does a Media Converter Work?
Media converters can be split into two main groups.
The first type of media converter can only convert physical media. For example,copper to fibre, or fibre to copper, without adjusting the speed of the link. This type of device is most commonly used when latency is a critical factor, in other words, when a time delay when transmitting the traffic is unacceptable during conversion.
The second type of media converters are often called switch converters or rate converters. These are a standard Ethernet switch equipped with two ports. These devices can adjust both the media and the link speed so that it is possible to connect a 10/100/1000T port to a 100FX port. For time-sensitive applications, this type is unsuitable as the switch adds a small amount of latency to the connection.
Do media converters work in both directions?
Yes, they can work in both directions. Media converters work with bidirectional links, so the same model can be used to convert copper to fibre but also fibre to copper.
If you use these devices in pairs, you can use the same model for both ends since they work both ways.
What Are the Different Types of Media Converters?
There are different types of media converter, including:
One that connects fibre and copper cables (the most common)
One that can convert Ethernet to VDSL
One that can inject Power over Ethernet (PoE)
Typically, media converters are small standalone unmanaged devices. However, they can also form managed and unmanaged chassis solutions to integrate multiple devices within your network in a 19″ standard rack. For deployments in harsher environments, industrial media converters can be mounted in DIN cabinets to protect the electrical components.
What is the most common model of media converter?
As we mentioned above, the most common model of media converter is one which connects copper to fibre with one RJ45 port and one fibre port or SFP bay. To allow another converter or a switch equipped with the appropriate interface to be connected easily, the transport protocol is always Ethernet.
What about legacy infrastructure?
It’s not always possible to use a fibre link due to legacy infrastructure, for example twisted-pair phone cables or co-ax cables. If these are already in use, replacing with new fibre is not practical. Media converters that convert Ethernet to co-ax or Ethernet to twisted-pair allow the use of legacy infrastructure.
These devices can reach long distances over legacy cables due to using VDSL (Very high Data rate Subscription Line) technology.
As mentioned above, another type of converter can provide Power over Ethernet (PoE) on the copper Ethernet port to power remote devices. This is particularly useful for things like CCTV cameras or access control gates, and helps to simplify deployment of physical security solutions.
Covering the most commonly used interfaces today, media converter port speeds include Fast Ethernet, Gigabit and 10 Gigabit. Transceivers through an SFP port are able to operate on fibres from just a few metres in length up to 120km, satisfying a wide range of distances and speeds.
Media converters are useful for desktops too
Did you know that media converters can be used on the desktop too?
The USB to fibre Ethernet media converter acts as a Network Interface Card for your desktop or laptop – Quickly deploying a Fibre To The Desk (FTTD) solution for security-sensitive applications, or those more than 100 metres from the switch.
What Are the Features of a Media Converter?
The majority of media converters are not smart devices, however there are some media converters that have smart features that can help to simplify the management of large networks.
‘Have you turned it off and then on again?’
We’ve all heard that old IT joke. But actually there’s a reason why IT guru’s and network engineers say those notorious words. One of the most common ways to solve computer-related issues is to ‘power-cycle’ the device – Often, simply turning it off and then on again makes the problem disappear.
For PoE (Power over Ethernet) powered devices, disconnecting the power on the switch port connected to the device having issues will automatically reset it.
However, most media converters are not managed remotely and thus any that are on a remote site cannot simply turn the power off. In this case, a network engineer (or other person) would have to physically go to the remote site and disconnect and then reconnect the PoE cable.
Some configurable PoE Media converters enable PoE power to be reset whenever the fibre connection is turned off and on. This ‘smart’ feature would prevent the need for a physical remote site visit by enabling you to control the PoE power via the fibre connection on the switch, resetting the remote device.
Has all this talk of fibre cables and Ethernet ports got you in a tizz?
Which? Have recently surveyed nearly 4000 broadband customers from differing Internet Service Providers to find out what issues customers are facing when it comes to staying connected.
Internet issues like slow speeds and connections that dropped out were rather commonplcae over the past year, with 53% of respondents saying they had experienced some kind of connection issue.
And the worst ISP on the list? Sky Broadband.
Which ISP’s Are the Worst?
Of the 12 ISP’s listed in the survey, Sky Broadband (32%), Virgin Media (35%) and EE (37%) had the lowest percentage of customers reporting ‘no issues.’
Out of the most well known Internet Service Providers, BT came off the best, with nearly half (49%) of survey customers not experiencing a single connection issue in the past year.
Similarly, Hyperoptic, Shell Energy and Utility Warehouse also did well with at least half of their customers (if not more) also reporting 12 whole months (January 2022 to January 2023) without a single performance issue.
However, of the rest of the customer’s, at least 4 in 10 did experience at least one issue in the survey period.
What are the Most Common Broadband Issues?
The most commonly reported connection problem in the survey was ‘frequent drop outs’ which affected 19% of the respondents.
Almost as prevalent amongst the reported internet issues was ‘a very slow speed’ and a connection that was ‘slow to download or upload files’ (17% and 15% respectively).
How Does This Survey Compare to Ofcom Stats?
Data from Ofcom actually paint quite a different picture when it comes to the service of internet providers.
Official complaints to Ofcom about ISP’s have Sky as one of the providers that have the least issues from customers. According to Ofcom data, Shell Energy were the worst offender.
It’s important to remember that Ofcom data is based on actual complaints from disgruntled customers. The survey by Which? surveyed just under 4000 customers of various ISP’s and was somewhat more anecdotal.
We also need to bear in mind that not all of the issues reported in the survey could purely be down to bad broadband. Home networks can be affected by poor configuration (placing your router somewhere silly, for example), local network congestion, poor Wi-Fi (the transmission of the signal from the router to the device). There are scenarios where it wouldn’t be the ISP’s fault, so the survey would need to take a bit of a closer look.
What do the ISP’s Have to Say in Response to the Which? Survey?
Here’s what the ISP’s have to say on the topic.
A spokesperson for Sky said:
“We are committed to providing the best service to our customers. We do not believe this is a representative survey – Ofcom’s quarterly complaints data shows we are consistently one of the least complained about broadband providers and, in Ofcom’s latest report, we received the fewest complaints out of all broadband providers.”
A spokesperson for Virgin Media said:
“While these findings are only taken from a small sample of customers, the latest, fuller data from Ofcom shows that our customers benefit from the fastest download speeds, and customer complaints on our broadband services fell by 22% in the first quarter of this year. Only last month we were rated the ‘Best in Test’ in Umlaut’s broadband benchmarking survey, ahead of other major providers.
With demand for connectivity higher than ever, we’re investing billions of pounds each year to upgrade and improve our networks to ensure we’re providing our customers with fast and reliable broadband services they can rely on. Customers are receiving more value than ever from their telecoms services, and we continue to invest in every area of our business to ensure we continue to improve and deliver an excellent customer experience.”
A spokesperson for EE said:
“Ofcom’s latest complaints report shows that we remain one of the least complained about broadband providers, with complaints remaining well below the industry average throughout recent years.
We remain committed to providing the best customer service across the industry and ensuring our customers get value for money as the UK’s best network. Our teams across the UK and Ireland already provide the most personal and local service in contact centres and retail stores across the country.
We have proudly led the way with social tariffs since 2008, with around 80% of the total market being supported on BT social tariffs. Customers who are struggling financially and are eligible for our social tariffs can move penalty-free at any point in their contract, this also includes EE and Plusnet customers.”
“Our industry unfortunately has a poor reputation for managing customer expectations and being transparent with communications, and introducing price rises mid-contract at a time when everyone is struggling with household bills does nothing to improve this. With price rises based on a 10.1% CPI rate, and the above inflation addition of typically 3.9%, that amounts to a substantial additional burden to household budgets.
We are not immune to the inflationary forces impacting supply chains and wages, but we all recognise that customers need as fair a deal as we can offer. Zen’s response to this challenge for residential customers is the Contract Price Promise – a promise not to increase prices for the length of the contract period.
When it comes to customer service, Zen was the only provider to score four stars in all seven categories in the Which? survey – connection speed and reliability, customer service, value for money, technical support, ease/speed of contact and ease of set up. We have topped the table for eight years and are the only Which? Recommended Provider for Broadband. It’s not always easy, but we will always work to ensure we provide an industry leading service and support our customers when they need it most, rather than prioritising profit-driven price hikes that only benefit shareholders.”
CEO and Co-Founder of Lit Fibre, said:
“The findings from the Which? report published yesterday are not surprising. Broadband providers have become complacent regarding poor customer service. Taking time to explain how customers can get the best experience ‘in home’ from their wifi setup is also top of our agenda as we know most customers need our expertise with this.
At Lit Fibre we put customer service and reliable internet first from the outset, it’s the bare minimum we think customers should be expecting. We’ve earnt our 5 stars on Trustpilot by providing customers with a consistently high quality and personal service, an average call pick-up time of 20 seconds, no bots and no mid-contract price hikes, so we know it’s possible for the industry to do so much better.”
How’s Your Broadband?
Which side of the fence would you be sat on – No internet issues, or frustratingly slow speeds and drop outs?
If you’re experiencing Wi-Fi woes and your broadband just isn’t cutting it, get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi engineers today.
Whether your home and business are in a rural area and you’re struggling for a broadband connection, or your office broadband is buffering and inhibiting your business productivity – We can help.
Our expert Wi-Fi engineers can make sure you get the connection you need – Whether it’s mobile broadband via 4G or better placed routers and AP’s.
Contact us today and let’s get you better connected.
Wi-Fi HaLow has quite the list of benefits when it comes to Internet of Things applications. With high bandwidth, long range, unlicensed spectrum, low power, and less complexity than Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi HaLow could well be a better option.
What is Wi-Fi HaLow?
Image from https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-halow with thanks
The Wi-Fi Alliance has coined the IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi standard as Wi-Fi HaLow, as it will be known in the wireless market. It was approved back in September 2016, and then published in the following May.
Wi-Fi HaLow is a new version of traditional Wi-Fi, offering:
Long range
Low power
Low speed
Wi-Fi HaLow is most likely to be deployed within the Internet of Things market, on things such as:
Sensors
Wearables
M2M (Machine to Machine) applications
Smart buildings
Smart cities
What are the benefits of Wi-Fi HaLow?
Wi-Fi HaLow has the ability to connect low-bandwidth devices to IP networks, including the internet. It also supports enough bandwidth to handle HD Quality video.
Perhaps one of the great things about Wi-Fi HaLow is its usefulness in rural communications as well as offloading cell phone tower traffic.
Whilst there are similar low-power standards, like 802.11af, there are differences. For example, 802.11af operates in the television white space spectrum in VHF and UHF bands, whereas Wi-Fi HaLow is easier to deploy due to operating in the unlicensed bands.
There are of course similar technologies that utilise the unlicensed spectrum, but Wi-Fi HaLow also has advantages over some of them due to them being built on proprietary standards.
The requirement of getting proprietary hardware in order to get IP connectivity to the client devices also means that some other similar technologies are more complicated to deploy than Wi-Fi HaLow.
HaLow is intended to make deploying IoT devices easier.
Why is Uptake for Wi-Fi HaLow Slow?
Despite the advantages laid out above, the uptake for Wi-Fi HaLow has been pretty slow.
If you have a look on the Product Finder section of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s website, you’ll find only 3 companies that are listed as having certified Wi-Fi HaLow products.
And if the uptake is so low, it begs the question…
So Why Use Wi-Fi HaLow?
The advantages we talked about above hint at where Wi-Fi HaLow can be used effectively.
Wi-Fi HaLow Utilises Licence-Exempt Frequencies
As you are probably aware, the majority of Wi-Fi technologies, including Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6, operate at frequencies in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.
The difference with Wi-Fi HaLow is that it utilises licence-exempt frequencies that are below 1 GHz.
Wi-Fi HaLow Has Longer Range
Due to Wi-Fi HaLow having lower frequencies, it also has longer signal ranges. Not only that, but the signal itself penetrates walls and other materials better.
Due to these reasons, Wi-Fi HaLow can travel much further, even managing distances of over half a mile (0.62 miles to be precise).
Wi-Fi HaLow Devices Don’t Hog Bandwidth and Need Less Power
Wi-Fi HaLow devices can use lower power radios as they’re not hogging bandwidth with high performance. In other words, the devices wireless connectivity uses very little power which in turn means that they have a long battery life. Some devices can even last more than 5 years!
Got devices on the network that need more throughput? With Wi-Fi HaLow you can give hundreds (if not thousands) of IoT wireless devices their own band to operate in – Enabling you to reserve the higher bands for those higher throughput devices. This could in turn have a positive impact on your overall network performance.
In this way, Wi-Fi HaLow compliments traditional Wi-Fi very well by enabling your network engineers to move lower bandwidth clients off the main Wi-Fi network.
Depending on the AP capabilities and client-device specifications, Wi-Fi HaLow can still provide enough throughput for HD-quality video cameras in some scenarios, despite being designed for lower bandwidth applications.
Do We Have the Infrastructure for Wi-Fi HaLow?
In short, yes! It’s pretty straightforward to get going with Wi-Fi HaLow.
Whereas other similar technologies require proprietary controllers, hubs or gateways, Wi-Fi HaLow doesn’t need any of this.
It’s as simple as plugging a HaLow Ap into a traditional LAN and clients can connect to IP-based networks including the internet.
Alternatively, they could choose a gateway device with 4G LTE connectivity to the WAN.
Does traditional Wi-Fi support HaLow?
Currently, the HaLow band is not supported by traditional Wi-Fi like 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
But, due to the longer range of HaLow, an AP deployed in the right location could mean signal coverage for an entire multi-floor office building or warehouse.
Of course, that would also depend on:
Desired data rates for clients
Transmit powers
Antennas
Interference
To take the signal even further, without using a wired connection, you can also deploy Wi-Fi HaLow in a wireless-mesh mode.
What are the Data Rates like for Wi-Fi HaLow?
Bandwidth can be increased via channel-width options on Wi-Fi HaLow devices just like traditional Wi-Fi. Between 1MHz and 16MHz there are 5 channel widths, but not all devices support all the widths.
When we talk about channels, the transmissions travel further the narrower the channel is, but at a slower data rate.
For example, for a long range over the course of 1km on just 1MHz channel, with a bit of RF attenuation, you would see a data rate of approximately 150 kbps.
With a shorter range and/ or a line of sight, you could in theory get 86.7 Mbps with 16 MHz channels and short guard intervals.
One trial carried out at sea with no radio interference achieved 2 Mbps of UDP throughput at 3 km with line of sight. With this in mind, with ideal conditions could expect a data rate of a few Mbps for approximately 1.5 km range.
How is Wi-Fi HaLow Affected by Interference?
Wi-Fi HaLow aren’t not the only unlicensed users and devices on the 900 MHz band. Historically, this band was rather crowded with cordless phones as well as amateur radio operators, although whilst they have the right to use the band they are not the primary users of the band and hence have to accept interference from other sources.
Interference when using Wi-Fi HaLow is unlikely to cause significant issues in comparison to how many Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices are using the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
The competition for airtime is also a lesser concern because unlike traditional Wi-Fi devices, HaLow devices tend to deliver smaller amounts of data and less frequently.
Is Wi-Fi HaLow Secure?
Wi-Fi HaLow is just as secure as traditional Wi-Fi devices due to supporting the same WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security and Wi-Fi Enhanced Open functionality.
Some devices may also support the enterprise mode of WPA3 with 802.1X authentication. Some HaLow devices may also support the legacy WPA2 security even though it isn’t required for Wi-Fi Certified products.
Is HaLow ready for enterprise deployments?
Despite there being few Wi-Fi Halow devices on the market just yet, reports are saying that they are ready for enterprise deployments now.
Our recommendation, as with any Wi-Fi network, is to carry out a Site Survey before designing and deploying a Wi-Fi HaLow network.
For many network engineers, this is a new and unfamiliar technology so it’s imperative you do plenty of live testing and analysing to make sure the network will work effectively. This is especially important if you are going to be using Wi-Fi HaLow to serve higher bandwidth clients or over long distances.
Last week we blogged about the shutdown of 3G in the UK and the myths surrounding this phasing out of lower generation tech. If you’ve been concerned about the 4G coverage in your area, then this article might help to put your mind at rest a little bit.
Last week, EE announced that they had deployed 411 small cells around the UK. This is in addition to the 200 already deployed last year.
Small Cells to Boost Urban 4G Network
These small cells are different to masts, and are basically tiny base stations installed on buildings and street furniture.
The idea is that it will boost their 4G speed and coverage across their mobile broadband network.
They’ve claimed that these small cells will allow customers to access download speeds of up to 300Mbps. As always however, this figure should be taken with a pinch of salt. Download speeds are always subject to variability in many areas including:
Mobile environment
End-user devices
Consumer demand
The new 4G small cells are carrying a huge 20TB (TeraBytes) of data traffic every day.
Whilst masts and larger base stations can transmit over large distances, these newly deployed small cells are designed to transmit over shorter distances and more limited coverage.
They are used for urban areas where mobile network access is likely to be busy – Like shopping centres, airports and ports.
Can Rural Networks Benefit from Small Cell Deployment?
Whilst these small cells are really useful for urban areas, they can also be really valuable for boosting network coverage in rural areas too.
Used in a similar way as in urban areas, the small cells would be deployed on things like lampposts, street kiosks and CCTV columns.
Working in just the same way as urban areas, these small cells in rural locations would also help boost 4G coverage.
How Have EE Chosen Where to Deploy 4G Small Cells?
In order for EE to identify the best locations to deploy their small cells, they use network analytics.
The small cells are built by Nokia and access both licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands. They harness 1800MHz and 2600MHz on the 2.6GHz band (licensed) as well as the unlicensed 5GHz spectrum bands.
Where Have EE Deployed New 4G Small Cells?
The deployment of 411 new 4G small cells has been rolled out to various locations across the UK. These include:
Birmingham
Brighton
Sheffield
Swansea
Leicester
Coventry
Wolverhampton
Southampton
York.
There will also be ‘seasonal hotspots’ to handle extra network traffic in popular UK holiday destinations. These include:
Newquay
Paignton
Salcombe
Southend-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
What Does EE Say About This New Deployment of 4G Small Cells?
James Hope, EE’s Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks, said:
“As demand for data continues to rise, small cells are becoming an increasingly integral part of our mobile network. Our partnership with Nokia ensures customers continue to benefit from our fastest 4G speeds even at the busiest times and in the most congested of locations, and we’re proud to pass another milestone in this project as we continue to invest in improving the UK’s best mobile network* up and down the country.”
What Does the Future Hold?
Good news! It seems like this latest deployment is only the beginning. According to EE, the plan is to deploy a hundred more small cells over the coming months.
These will be deployed both in cities with existing small cell infrastructure as well adding new towns and cities to the growing list.
Will Small Cells Be Used to Boost 5G Coverage?
EE also said that they would be doing a trial where small cells would be used to accommodate the 5G network.
Thankfully, Nokia’s AirScale portfolio can upgrade to 5G in a smooth and consistent manner.
Could 4G Mobile Broadband Work For Your Home or Business?
If your home or business premises struggles with more traditional forms of broadband and you’ve been considering 4G mobile broadband as your primary network then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today.
Have you seen the recent news reports about the withdrawal of 3G by Mobile Network Operators – And how this move will result in ‘millions of people’ being plunged into ‘digital poverty’ by disconnecting them from the internet?
Much of this reporting goes unchallenged and could be seen as scaremongering – Will the consequences of withdrawing the 3G service actually be this dire?
How much is 3G actually still used?
3G is actually rather old by tech standards. We’ve had 2 further generations of mobile technology since 3G (4G and 5G, obviously). And 6G isn’t far behind them.
Can you believe that Vodafone has been using their 3G service for 18 years? What else in the world of technology is around for so long! Vodafone also happens to be the first MNO to start the 3G withdrawal process. 3G data traffic on their network accounted for just 4% in January 2022. In 2016 it was over 30%.
Did you know that 4G is available to over 99% of the UK’s population whilst they are outdoors? Unfortunately this does fall to between 80 and 87% for geographic coverage. Although, if we’re comparing, 2G only covers 85-93%. We use 2G for basic data like voice and text services.
When will we lose 3G and 2G services?
The government, along with all the major mobile network operators, have agreed that by 2033, 2G and 3G signals will be phased out.
You might be wondering why 3G is being withdrawn first when 2G is obviously older. Well, there are less devices in operation that are critically dependent on 3G services. 4G has been more successful, mainly due to 3G being negatively affected by overpriced spectrum licensing.
2G, on the other hand, is still widely used for basic voice services and limited data for mobiles, as well as other applications like Smart Metres in home energy monitoring systems and similar solutions making it a great low-power fallback option. Therefore, 2G will be around for much longer than 3G.
The gradual withdrawal of 3G services will differ slightly by mobile network operator. You can find out more information on your mobile operator’s plans to phase out 3G below:
Vodafone UK began the withdrawal of 3G at the start of this year and aims to have phased it out by December.
Three UK are phasing out their 3G network service gradually over the next 2 years, with it being switched off by the end of 2024.
EE are starting their 3G withdrawal by first moving customers off 3G, with a view to switching the 3G network off early next year.
O2 are yet to publicly announce anything but are part of the plans to switch off both 2G and 3G by 2033 and are likely to follow a similar timeline as those above.
Is the phasing out of 3G a good thing or a bad thing?
The recent news reports we alluded to earlier would suggest that the withdrawal of 3G services would disconnect a lot of people from the internet and result in digital poverty for millions. But is the phasing out of 3G really a negative thing, like these reports suggest?
Let’s take a closer look at a couple of the worries surrounding the 3G switch off, and hopefully alleviate them.
‘My 4G signal is weak – Will I be unable to access mobile data?’
We can totally see why this would be a worry. If you find that your 4G signal coverage is weak in your area and your handset often falls back to 3G, it makes sense that you would be concerned that you would be disconnected from mobile data altogether once 3G is switched off. Especially if your fixed line broadband was also poor locally.
What you need to bear in mind is that when the 3G service is switched off, the spectrum that would have been used for that will then be used for 4G and 5G services instead. This means that those who often find their weak 4G signal defaults to 3G, would see an improvement in 4G signal once 3G has been phased out. Happily, this also means that mobile broadband speeds would also improve.
Of course, this does depend somewhat on the operator itself and their approach in your area. There is a chance that some people could have issues if their operator wasn’t to prepare the updated coverage after 3G is phased out. Let’s remember that that’s not in the best interests of the operator either, and all MNO’s are committed to minimising any problems caused by the withdrawal of 3G services.
Don’t forget that a weak 4G signal can actually still be better than a strong 3G signal. The data capability available to you isn’t always accurately depicted by how many signal bars you see on your screen.
It’s also worth noting that current plans for mobile connectivity mean that coverage and performance are only going to improve. The Shared Rural Network, an industry led project worth £1 billion, is working hard to bring 4G to 95% of the UK in geographic coverage by the end of 2025.
What do the operators themselves have to say about the potential problem of weak 4G signal?
It would seem that UK mobile network operators are prepared for the phasing out of 3G and the subsequent effects on 4G signal.
Vodafone says:
“By repurposing the 3G network – we can grow the UK-wide reach of our more energy efficient 4G and 5G networks instead – this means faster data speeds, higher quality voice call services and a chance to continue improving connectivity in previously ‘cut-off’ areas, including rural communities and the London Underground.”
They will be optimising their 4G and 5G networks as a part of their phasing out of 3G. In fact, some of their 3G spectrum has already been re-directed as a part of this plan.
They have also contacted customers of theirs who could be impacted by issues once 3G has been switched off. So no news is probably good news!
Three says:
“Retiring 3G enables us to repurpose network assets where our customers need them (4G&5G) … this plan has been carefully developed by our network teams to ensure that it benefits our customers.”
A tiny 3% of their network traffic was 3G so they expect minimal disruption
They believe their customers can expect “faster downloads, better quality streaming and a more reliable experience” when 3G is switched-off.
Ahead of the 3G switch off, Three are upgrading many of their legacy 3G sites and repurposing them for newer technologies.
They suggest that customers who have a 4G / 5G compatible handset will not be impacted by the phasing out of 3G.
EE says:
Whilst the re-farming of 3G will be a process that takes time, the spectrum used for 3G is planned to be used for 4G and 5G, just not immediately. The locations that have the highest need (those that are congested or at risk of congestion) will be the initial focus for the reuse of 3G spectrum.
This operator is focusing on making sure that their 4G has enough capacity to cope once 3G has been switched off. In areas where they have both a 3G and 4G service, the 3G doesn’t generally reach beyond that of their 4G services. They believe they have the tools to identify if any work is needed on spectrum and in what areas so that they can be prioritised.
They are currently refreshing their 4G and 5G network and replacing some 5G vendor equipment. They need to finish this network refresh before they can re-farm the 3G spectrum. Once the work has been completed, it will be easier to use the remaining 5MHz from the 3G spectrum. Upgrades will be a mix of remote and site visits depending on configuration. Only modernised sites will be able to re-farm the 3G spectrum to be used for 4G and 5G, hence why the process will take some time.
O2 says:
Not a lot… Yet! As we said above, O2 haven’t publicly announced their plans to phase out 3G services like the other operators have so it’s all a bit quiet from the O2 camp.
‘I have an old device that doesn’t have 4G capabilities – How will I get online when 3G is phased out?’
The DPA (Digital Poverty Alliance) is concerned that people with older, more basic devices that don’t have 4G capabilities will fall into ‘digital poverty’ once 3G is phased out if they rely on that device to get online.
But is this a legitimate concern? Here are some reasons why this may be an unfounded worry.
There are basic phones that have 4G capabilities that have been available on the market for a number of years. They are generally lower cost than more elaborate devices, at around £20-£50 for the handset.
Operators often offer bundles with cheap plans and almost free handsets on the more basic models
Some operators and charities give more vulnerable users basic handsets for free, so they only need to pay for the tariff
That being said, we realise that there will be people out there that may currently have a device that doesn’t support 4G. There are options out there so anyone who is worried have a shop around – A basic 4G compatible handset and monthly plan for less than £10 a month are out there.
The best option if you are concerned is probably to ring your current operator and see what they can offer you.
How Can You Make Sure You’re Not Affected by the 3G Switch Off?
We’re not saying that nobody will be affected by the phasing out of 3G services. There are always going to be the odd few where unique cases mean that something goes awry. Let’s bear in mind that some handsets will have better reception than others!
We’re feeling hopeful that the operators will have planned the 3G withdrawal properly and will minimise the impact on their customers. I guess we’ll find out!
Saying that, here are a few things you can look out for to try and minimise any disruption to your coverage and connections:
Ensure your current handset (or any new one you buy) has VoLTE (Voice-over-LTE) capability. Not all 4G handsets can make calls over the same generation of network technology, but if your handset supports the above it will be helpful.
Choose a handset that supports Wi-Fi Calling. Whilst not as common on the more basic handsets, if you have a home broadband connection then this would come in very handy.
Anyone with a 4G handset having issues after the 3G switch off should perhaps consider changing mobile operator and see if that fixes the problem. Each operator will have different coverage, varying by site, so it might be worth switching around. This also goes for the above – If you have a VoLTE or Wi-Fi Calling enabled handset but are having issues, it could be the operator.
Remember that when making calls and texts, 3G/4G handsets will fall back to 2G if having trouble anyway.
Despite the sensationalised articles about the phasing out of 3G services in headline news, try not to worry. We deal with technological advances all the time in this modern world. You could choose to see the withdrawal of 3G as an upgrade to 4G/5G instead of a negative.
There may well be teething problems for a small percentage of mobile users, but we’re pretty sure that mobile operators will find a solution that works for all when the time comes to switch off 3G services.
For the past year, the DSIT have been trialling ‘Fibre in Water’ in Yorkshire. Fibre has been run along 17km between Barnsley and Penistone to see whether fibre optic (FTTP) broadband cables could be deployed through live water mains.
The £6.2m trial has just completed its first phase, with the DSIT releasing current progress and what they’ve learned so far, with one year left to go of the trial.
The theory behind the ‘fibre in water’ trial is that fibre broadband could reach 8,500 more rural homes and businesses without needing to do disruptive and costly street works. Not only that, the fibre could provide capacity to local 5G mobile masts as well as monitor any leakages on the network.
What is ‘Fibre in Water’?
The main concept behind ‘Fibre in Water’ is to deploy fibre optic cables through live drinking water mains, monitoring them for leakage. It would also mean that broadband companies could use the water network to deliver gigabit connections to any homes and businesses along the water route that the cables were deployed in.
If you’re wondering whether it’s safe to be putting fibre-optic cables alongside water, then don’t worry! The fibre cables will be inside ‘messenger pipes’ to make sure that they don’t touch the water and are protected.
The messenger pipe is deployed whilst water is in normal operation so that the pressure can be used to deploy an initial draw line. The installation is completed by blowing the fibre-optic cable into the messenger pipe.
What do they hope to achieve with the ‘Fibre in Water’ project?
The £6.2m project began in 2021 and is expected to reach completion in 2024 – Taking it from a pilot schemed to facilitate delivery. The aim is to deliver advanced broadband and mobile services to rural locations via mains water.
Led by the DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), the project is also supported by Defra (Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs) as well as the Geospatial Commission.
There are various objectives to the ‘Fibre to Water’ project, a few of these are:
To support the Project Gigabit and Shared Rural Network schemes by connecting the hardest to reach areas of the UK with advanced fixed and mobile services (such as gigabit, 4G and 5G)
To reduce the amount of clean water leakage from the water mains (approximately 3 billion litres of clean water is lost per day)
To support the digital transformation of the water industry in the UK
What are the challenges of the ‘Fibre to Water’ project?
This project sees the merging of two separate industries, so is of course going to meet its challenges.
It’s a complex endeavour to safely bring together fibre-optic cables and water pipes in one place. Hence why DSIT, Defra and Geospatial Commission are all involved. Not only does it have to meet regulatory frameworks but also has to reflect a sensible cost for all bodies.
Project TAWCO was formed – Telecoms and Water Combined Operations – Consisting of Yorkshire Water, Commsworld (telecoms operator), the University of Strathclyde as a research organisation and Arcadis as a Design and Engineering Consultancy.
They proposed a route that would enable them to put the operational and commercial models to the test – Going from Barnsley to Penistoke.
What does the ‘Fibre in Water’ project consist of?
The project is split into 3 phases, the first of which has just reached completion.
Phase 1
This phase has focused on the research and investigation elements to inform later deployment. It had to look at the technical, commercial, legal and maintenance aspects of everything – as well as the benefits – before being able to present findings to the government. Only then can it move into Phase 2 and 3.
Phase 2
The second phase will look at the design and build elements of the project, including deployment of the final design. It will also include data collection and the accrual of benefits.
Phase 3
The final phase will evaluate how the project has performed and how it can be scaled up in line with the analysis results from Phase 2, with a view of rolling out this solution on a national scale.
What has been learnt from the 1st phase of the ‘Fibre in Water’ project?
Now that the first phase is coming to a close, the project has shown that this is a successful model, commercially viable, between the two industries.
It would seem that there is an investment opportunity for fibre in water, with a host of benefits for not only the industries but customers too.
European markets are seeing expansion in this area, with a rise in fibre in water technology and monitoring software solutions. More suppliers here in the UK are looking to gain approval for their offerings. As with all industries, competition in this area will drive innovation and technical improvements further as well as keep prices down.
The telecoms market is a competitive one, so Fibre in Water is likely to be another way for these companies to get broadband services to homes and businesses and provide better options for consumers.
One issue highlighted by the Phase 1 survey was having to gain access to private landowners along the proposed route. Not only would this be a potential risk, it would also cost money due to compensation negotiations.
A way to avoid this was to alter the route for the trial, reducing it to 8km of ‘fibre in water’ and avoiding the need for private access. Whilst this mitigated the risk and cost, it also means that the number of rural premises being reached is less, down to 7000.
Will the proposed ‘fibre in water’ trial go ahead? It’s expected that a decision will be made imminently by the DSIT and other government partners alongside Project TAWCO.
Could this be an exciting development in getting reliable broadband to rural areas? We might well find out next month – Watch this space.
Rural Wi-Fi Options with Geekabit
In the meantime, if you’re struggling with your broadband in a rural home or business then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. We have extensive experience with 4G and Mobile Broadband – Bringing you a more reliable connection in rural premises. Read more on our website and get in touch today.
Are you seeing flashing lights? There’s nothing more infuriating than getting lights flashing on your device and not knowing what it means.
If you’re experiencing flashing lights on a UniFi device then read on to find out why, and what you need to do about it.
The images below show blue and white LED’s flashing in different formats depending on the status they are showing. Each type of flashing applies to all of the following UniFi devices:
Access points
routers
switches
UDM base model
My UniFi AP is flashing white and then off every few seconds
If your Ubiquiti UniFi device is flashing white/off every 1 or 2 seconds, it means that the device is intialising and starting up.
Why does my UniFi AP have a steady white light?
If you UniFi AP (or other listed device) is exhibiting a steady white light, it means it is ready for adoption. This means it is ready to begin the process of connecting to the UniFi application that will manage it.
Why is my UniFi UDM flashing blue?
This applies to UDM units only. If you see a flashing blue light, it means that a client device is connected to the network via Bluetooth.
Why is my UniFi UDM flashing blue and then off?
Again, this flashing only applies to the UDM units. If it is lighting up blue and then going off after 5 seconds, then back to blue, then off, it means it is not connected to the internet.
What does a constant blue light mean on my UniFi access point?
A steady blue light means that the UniFi device is adopted (connected to the UniFi application managing it) and is in normal operating mode. The Access Point (AP) is broadcasting SSIDs (Service Set Identifier – Typically a network name).
Why is my UniFi AP rapidly flashing white and off?
If you UniFi access point is strobing white/off then you will need to power cycle it. If that doesn’t work, then you will have to get in touch with Ubiquiti’s customer support team for further help.
Help – Why is my Ubiquiti UniFi Access Point flashing white then blue?
If your UniFi AP is quickly flashing white then blue, it means the device firmware is being upgraded. It’s important you do not interrupt this process.
On a UDM unit, it will flash only white during this upgrade.
Why has my UniFi AP got a blue steady light that goes off every 5 seconds?
If your UniFi AP is blue but flashing off every 5 seconds, it means the AP has lost connectivity and is looking for a wireless uplink.
I have a rapidly flashing blue light on my UniFi AP – What does it mean?
If your UniFi AP is rapidly flashing blue and then off, it means the device “Locate” feature was activated in the UniFi Network application.
Why is my UniFi AP flashing white, blue and then off?
The device is in TFTP mode (Trivial File Transfer Protocol is a simple lockstep File Transfer Protocol which allows a client to get a file from or put a file onto a remote host).
To enable this mode:
Hold the reset button before powering on.
Continue to hold the reset button until this LED sequence appears.
If you haven’t intentionally put your AP into TFTP mode, make sure that the reset button on the device isn’t jammed. It should click when pushed.
There is no LED / light visible on my UniFi Access Point?
If you can’t see any light on your AP device and the LED is completely off, then it means the device is offline. To try and resolve the problem:
Check it has a power supply
Check POE (power over ethernet) cables
Check Ethernet cables
Ubiquiti UniFi Bridge to Bridge Devices
If you have a UniFi Bridge to Bridge device, then there are two more statuses to look out for in addition to those above.
My UniFi Bridge has a red light with circulating blue light
If your UniFi Bridge device is showing a red with circulating blue LED, it means the 60 GHz link cannot be established or has dropped due to bad weather.
If the UBB fails over to 5 GHz, the LED will remain red. When the 60 GHz link is re-established, the LED will turn blue (or the custom colour selected in the UniFi Network application).
It’s worth noting that if the other bridge device is within range and the UBB LED is red, Uniquiti recommend adjusting the UBB’s position to enhance the signal strength.
Why does my UniFi bridge have a green light?
If your UniFi Bridge is showing a green light, it means that the Alignment Tool is enabled in the UniFi Network application and the UBB devices are aligned properly.
If the other bridge device is within range and the UBB LED is green and red, Ubiquiti recommend adjusting the UBB’s position until the LED is green.
How to Disable Device LEDs
Did you know that you can disable device LED’s? Using the UniFi Network application, you can choose specific device status LED’s or the whole site’s to be disabled.
To disable (or re-enable) status LED’s:
Open the UniFi Network Application
Go to Settings
Go to Site
Go to the Services section
Edit the LED feature
If you want to specifically configure individual devices:
Open the UniFi Network application
Go to the Devices section
Click on the device you wish to edit to bring up the Properties panel
Go to Config, then General, then LED
Switch the Site Settings to On or Off
Ubiquiti UniFi Fault Finding
For more information on any of the above, or to find LED patterns for specific ports, head to the Ubiquiti website here.
Is Ubiquiti UniFi right for your business Wi-Fi?
If you’re wondering if Ubiquiti UniFi is the best option for the Wi-Fi needs of your business, then get in touch with our Wi-Fi Experts today. We can advise what the best network options would be for your premises, and take you from the site survey stage, through to design and deployment. No one should have to tolerate bad broadband or slow Wi-Fi at work.
UK market research provider OnePoll have recently released new survey data suggesting that 80% of smartphone users who use 5G to get online on their mobile are satisfied with the performance.
80% of surveyed smartphone users satisfied with 5G mobile service
Commissioned by Green Smartphones (a smartphone comparison website), the poll surveyed 1000 UK based adults who use 5G mobile internet on their smartphone. 80% of the respondents reported being satisfied with both the coverage and the broadband speeds via 5G.
The other 20% of respondents were split between being dissatisfied (8%) and undecided (12%).
Over 50% say 5G mobile service meets expectations
The poll also asked the selected UK smartphone users whether the 5G they use on their mobile is faster or slower than they expected.
From those surveyed:
53% said 5G mobile speeds were what they expected
21% said it was faster than they expected
12% said it was much faster than their expectations
Another 12% said it was slower than they expected
The remaining 2% said it was much slower than they expected
Can 5G live up to the hype?
Recent news outlets have reported disappointment in the rollout of 5G, criticising the 5G mobile services that are available.
The survey outlined above from OnePoll would suggest different, with the majority of their respondents reporting satisfaction with their 5G mobile service performance. Only a small percentage of those surveyed reported slower than expected 5G mobile speeds.
As with most things tech, there is always a buzz and excessive hype with the rollout of anything new. Just like 4G and 3G technology before it, 5G services have been hyped up and over-sold with bit expectations for positive impact on mobile performance.
Has 5G made fixed line broadband obsolete? No. Are we seeing a 5G-powered driverless car revolution on our roads? No, not that either.
What we are seeing is an upgrade in mobile capability which is useful and appreciated by both businesses and consumers – Once it’s available to them.
5G wireless network technology
Let’s not forget that 5G technology still has room to grow so further future improvements are likely.
The expectation is that 5G broadband speed and network coverage will continue to grow and improve over the coming years.
And, as is the world of tech, once we’ve welcomed and embraced 5G will open arms, attention will turn to 6G and the wild assertions of the benefits it will bring with it.
Get in Touch
If you own a rural business and are struggling with broadband connectivity then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today.
Our professional engineers in Hampshire can advise whether mobile broadband could help keep your business connected.
