Three has agreed a multi-million pound extension of its fiber link partnership with CityFibre, further strengthening 5G rollout across the country. Backhaul describes the physical connection between the base station and an operator's core network. In the 5G era, fiber backhaul is essential if operators want to handle expected increases in mobile traffic and power services that require ultra-low latency. Three uses a mix of providers, including BT, SSE Enterprise Telecoms and Virgin Media, and began working with CityFibre to provide a link to its 5G sites outside of London earlier this year.
Three CityFibre 5G
This expansion will see 1.300 masts in 59 cities connected to the CityFibre network, more than triple Three's original commitment. In addition, the two companies will align their respective network deployments, strengthening Three's 5G service and giving CityFibre an additional tenant for their networks. The agreement also includes provisions for small cells. These micro-infrastructures will allow operators to densify their networks in order to deploy high-capacity, low-range spectrum in urban areas. This will increase coverage in busy urban areas and also provide reliable connectivity for critical applications. Three is the UK's smallest mobile operator but believes 5G will allow it to dominate the market for the first time thanks to its spectrum holdings. Thanks to UK broadband acquisitions and auctions, Three claims it has the most usable 5G spectrum of any UK network and has 100 MHz of 3,4 GHz contiguous waves that it uses. will provide the fastest and most reliable connection. "We are increasing investment in our network to meet the growing demand for UK consumer data," said Susan Buttsworth, Three UK COO. "Fibre backhaul is a vital part of a reliable network experience and this investment will translate into better connectivity for our customers across the UK." CityFibre is investing €4 billion in its fiber network, believing it can establish itself as a true competitor to Openreach. He believes that major backhaul deals like this show that it is fast becoming the UK's third largest digital infrastructure platform. “We are delighted to deepen our support for Three's ambitious 5G rollout. It is clear that aligning two nationwide consumer and mobile digital infrastructure deployments has tremendous benefits, not only for us, but also for the cities and communities we connect,” added Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre. "By working together, we can deploy 5G and Full Fiber more widely and efficiently, creating a world-class digital infrastructure that enables agile and distributed applications for millions of people."