Small cells offer new visibility into city flows

Bath has rolled out new small-cell infrastructure across its city centre in a bid to strengthen 5G capacity in high-footfall areas, as cities look to improve connectivity to support tourism, local businesses and major events.

The deployment, delivered through a partnership between Virgin Media O2, Ontix and Bath & North East Somerset Council, targets some of the English city’s busiest shopping streets and visitor destinations, where mobile networks often come under strain during peak periods.

Richard Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ontix, told Cities Today that poor connectivity in these locations can have a direct impact on local economies.

“When visitors can’t get a signal in a busy shopping area, they don’t just get frustrated, they spend less,” he said. “Contactless payments fail, location apps don’t load, and businesses miss out on footfall that was already there.”

Small cells, typically installed on existing street furniture such as lampposts, provide additional network capacity in dense urban areas where traditional infrastructure struggles to cope with concentrated demand. In Bath, the rollout is expected to continue into early 2026 as part of wider investment to future-proof mobile networks.

Williams said improving 5G capacity removes friction for both visitors and businesses, enabling more reliable digital services and unlocking new data insights.

“Better 5G capacity in high-demand areas removes that friction,” he added. “Digital payment systems work more reliably, tourism apps deliver real-time information, and it’s possible to gather insights that help city leaders and retailers understand visitor flows and spending patterns.”

The project reflects a broader shift towards shared, open-access infrastructure models, which allow multiple operators to use the same assets. For cities, this approach can reduce costs and accelerate deployment, particularly in complex or high-demand locations.

“Today, a simple, non-exclusive agreement means that companies like Ontix can deliver for our partners in record time, by being allowed to use existing, publicly owned assets on commercial terms,” Williams said.

The model is also expected to expand further, with Williams pointing to growing momentum around neutral host infrastructure, where connectivity assets are owned and operated independently of mobile network operators.

Beyond improving connectivity, small-cell networks are increasingly seen as a tool for understanding how cities function during peak periods. Aggregated network data can provide insights into visitor flows, demand spikes and how people move through urban areas, particularly during major events.

“When large numbers of people are connecting to a network in a specific location, that activity generates insights around volume and demand spikes which can provide a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground,” Williams said.

This is particularly important for cities hosting concerts, sporting fixtures and seasonal tourism surges, where thousands of people accessing mobile services simultaneously can overwhelm existing infrastructure.

“By deploying small cells around event locations, operators can add the targeted capacity needed to handle peak demand without overbuilding infrastructure that’s only needed a handful of times a year,” Williams said.

Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, Bath & North East Somerset Council said: “Digital connectivity is important for economic growth, innovation and ensuring our residents feel connected, safe and able to access services on a day-to-day basis.”

Image: Ontix