Bloom Clerkenwell tenants connected via world mobile first from Freshwave

All the current tenants at Bloom Clerkenwell in London are now enjoying indoor mobile connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs) thanks to a world first from Freshwave. Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave’s Omni Network delivers 4G signal from all four operators combined into a single box, something which has never been done before with small cells. It was deployed at Bloom using CommScope’s ONECELL.

Up to 80 percent of mobile traffic is generated indoors but building materials such as thick concrete and energy efficient glass blocks outdoor mobile signal from entering buildings, leaving people unable to use their phones seamlessly inside. This leads to frustration for users, drops in productivity for businesses and makes the workplace less appealing for everyone.

To solve this problem small cells can be deployed indoors which connect securely into the MNOs’ networks, guaranteeing the quality of service unlike some other connectivity technologies which rely on outdoor signal. Omni Network needs less equipment on ceilings and in the comms room and less cabling and corresponding installation. This means it’s faster to design and deploy and up to 65 percent lower cost than a traditional, legacy distributed antenna system (DAS). It’s also more energy efficient, using up to 60 percent less energy.

Simon Frumkin, Freshwave’s CEO, said: “Mobile signal is essential in the modern workplace. We’re proud to be the only company in the UK able to offer Omni Network and are looking forward to the benefits it will bring our customers across both the public and private sectors.”

Stuart Holyoak, Director, DAS and Small Cell Business Development – EMEA at CommScope, said: “Customers need and demand coverage indoors where they use it the most and the CommScope ONECELL delivers on that demand. We’re proud to have developed such a step-changing solution to enable providers like Freshwave to accelerate connectivity for enterprises.”

“Customers need and demand coverage indoors where they use it the most”

Bloom Clerkenwell, managed by UBS Asset Management’s Real Estate & Private Markets business (UBS AM REPM), was the first commercial building in the UK to achieve the highest accreditations for BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Platinum, WiredScore Platinum and EPC rating A and now has another first to add to this list. The right mobile connectivity enhances the value of commercial real estate buildings and we’re pleased that Bloom Clerkenwell is on the cutting edge of developments in this area thanks to Freshwave.

Omni Network is deployed and delivered as a vendor agnostic managed service by Freshwave. It’s suited for sites from 6,000 sq ft upwards and can scale to buildings of 350,000 sq ft or more. It’s ideal for high spec environments such as premium residential or office developments and innovation-supporting settings like hospitals and research campuses. Because it connects via agreed operator technical specifications, it allows Freshwave to give their customers additional network statistics and visibility of what’s happening on their dedicated mobile network.