26 Sep 2022

Three UK to take 4G indoors with NHIB deployment

Leading mobile network operator Three UK has partnered with connectivity infrastructure specialist Freshwave to deploy its Neutral Host In-Building (NHIB) mobile approach and secure indoor 4G coverage for users of its network.

Three’s chief network officer Iain Milligan said the partnership was part of the network’s “indoor focus” and “investment in enhancing connectivity…especially for business customers”.

According to Freshwave, while more than three-quarters of mobile calls originate indoors, modern building materials make it harder for the outdoor macro signal to penetrate inside leaving many buildings as mobile signal dead zones. By developing in-building small cell systems, Freshwave said it can “bring networks indoors with guaranteed quality of service and without placing extra pressure on the outdoor macro”.

The deployment marks the first use of the UK’s recently developed Joint Operator Technical Specifications (JOTS) NHIB specification, an agreed technical standard for connecting shared in-building radio solutions based on 4G small cell technologies. By following the JOTS NHIB specification, a neutral host can provide mobile services to businesses on behalf of one or more of the UK’s leading MNOs with Three UK’s deployment marking the first network-wide usage.