Bringing Vodafone 4G signal to two tunnels 52 metres under the Mersey required 7.5km of cable and six months of carefully coordinated hard work.
A series of antennas funded by VodafoneThree are now delivering strong and reliable Vodafone 4G signal underneath the River Mersey through both the Queensway and Kingsway Tunnels. The new system also provides FM and DAB radio services.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who are responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the Mersey Tunnels, are proud that both tunnels have some of best safety records in the UK.
As traffic through the tunnels continued to race ahead, the authority wanted to future proof its connectivity to keep up with that demand, as well as ensure it maintained those safety levels.
Steve Wake, Principal Officer (Electrical and Systems), Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “Mersey Tunnels used a legacy radio system which was coming to the end of its life. This led us to the project with Exchange Communications and VodafoneThree to replace it with a new system with increased functionality.”
Adrian Corthine, who leads VodafoneThree’s Special Build network team, said: “Any network will have difficulty getting coverage into locations like the Mersey Tunnels, as signal from nearby masts will struggle to get through thick walls.
“However, the tunnels now have our 4G coverage due to the installation of this dedicated system. It will not only support customers travelling through the tunnels, but it will also help the Mersey Tunnels Police team ensure everyone is kept safe.”
The new connectivity is particularly important for the Mersey Tunnels Police who are the UK’s only specialised force dedicated to the policing of tunnels.
Anthony Tierney, Chief Officer, Mersey Tunnels Police, commented on the impact the project, saying: “The Mersey Tunnels Police radio system will connect into the new system, giving high quality coverage and making it easier than ever for our team to keep in touch and for us to also have superb, clear lines of communication with other emergency services.
“For motorists using the tunnels, they’ll have better mobile network coverage, which will aid them contacting emergency services in the event of a breakdown or accident, in addition to the emergency roadside telephones located throughout the tunnels.”
The antennas (technically called a Distributed Antenna System or DAS) were installed by infrastructure partner Exchange Communications. But the project wasn’t without its challenges.
“This was a complex project, as we had short working windows during the tunnels’ planned timetable of night closures and engineering time to install seven and a half kilometers of cable over a six-month period,” said Tom Sime, CEO, Exchange Communications.
“Throughout the project we worked closely with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Mersey Tunnels Police to design and deliver a system that has improved communications within the tunnels and future-proofed it, as it is now able to adapt to ever-changing advancements in technology such as AI and IoT.”
Source: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/news/mersey-tunnels-connected-by-vodafone-4g/
