The telco explained that normally, engineers installing antennas, radios and cabling have to connect and configure hundreds of connections on site, often working at height while exposed to the elements.
Carrying out this work in advance negates all that, simplifying installation and improving quality control. O2 claims that using this process cut installation time from two days to just four hours, and reduced the number of on-site connections from 100 cables to just six.
"Moving one of the most complex parts of building a mobile mast into the factory is a real step forward for our network. It allows us to install sites faster, improve quality control and ensure customers benefit from stronger, more reliable connectivity from the moment the site goes live," said Steven Verigotta, director of mobile delivery at O2.
The pre-assembled site was deployed in Sandwich, Kent, and O2 said it plans to roll out a total of 100 across the UK.
The process is slightly more complicated than simply bolting a few things together and delivering them to the site.
Once each unit is assembled, O2 said they are then tested in a controlled environment using specialist equipment – which in this case is provided by an outfit called Vecta Labs.
This includes an anechoic chamber, which looks like a recording booth on steroids and is designed to prevent the reflection of sound and electromagnetic waves. This is used to precisely measure radio performance.
Once that's done, the equipment is subjected to simulated wind conditions to replicate real-world stresses before it leaves the factory.
Australia-headquartered Vecta Labs has only been up and running in the UK since January, having commissioned its first portable anechoic chamber in Manchester late last year.
"We're proud to see Europe's first Vecta Labs deployment delivered with O2. This approach combines pre-assembly, precision RF testing and simplified installation to help operators deploy infrastructure faster while maintaining the highest standards of performance," said John Bonello, director and founding member at Vecta Labs.
This innovation is a small part of a much broader effort by O2 to spend another £700 million this year to improve the quality and coverage of its mobile network.
This includes the deployment of 5G standalone, which now covers more than 700 towns, and was recently made available at no extra cost on all of O2's price plans. It is also in the process of shutting down its 3G network and refarming the spectrum.
Earlier this month, Rob Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at Virgin Media O2 (VMO2), told Telecoms.com that his company added a terabit per second of capacity to its network in 2025, and that this year it aims to add another two.
Widespread use of pre-assembled mobile masts might just help O2 reach that target sooner.
Source: https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/o2-speeds-up-deployment-with-pre-assembled-mobile-mast
