Mobile coverage offers construction opportunities

In accordance with the government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority, which has forecast that digital infrastructure investment in Britain will be worth £6.1Bn between 2018 and 2021, a target of full fibre broadband coverage by 2033 has been made.

This, in turn, has resulted in a government consultation to allow for larger and taller mobile masts to be installed without council permission being a requirement and has, therefore, suggested a potential increase in mobile mast construction.

Adding to this, £200M in funding has been committed to pioneer the creation of 5G test beds across the nation so as to achieve a higher standard of mobile coverage, with the government planning to have most of the population covered by 5G signal by the year 2027.

In order to establish this 5G signal, a large number of smaller, lower powered base stations will need to be installed on buildings and into street furniture such as lamp posts as a way of allowing a wider use of full-fibre broadband infrastructure. As a result of this, various opportunities have presented themselves to contractors while mobile operators are attempting to upgrade their networks.

Glenigan construction data has actually shown that a number of telecoms/digital contracts available to construction contractors and companies are being let each week at values of up to £250,000. Specifically, Glenigan data has revealed hat EE has had plans either submitted or granted for the construction of nine telecoms projects, valued up to a quarter of a million pounds, all of which are now at the pre-tender stage.

The Nottinghamshire-based contractor company, nmcn PLC, is currently working under two long-standing national framework contracts for Virgin Media, covering the North West, Yorkshire, and the East Midlands, and for BT Openreach, covering just the East Midlands.

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