Project will culminate with 5G in Newcastle Central Station by summer 2021Train operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and O2 have partnered to increase network coverage along a 45-mile stretch of track between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
Northumberland County Council has approved planning permission for the first of up to 12 masts in the area. It is hoped that the masts will boost connectivity not just for customers on LNER trains, but also for local communities.
The masts will be placed over the next year, with the final phase of deployment seeing 5G available in Newcastle Central Station by summer 2021. An O2 representative said the operator is looking to commence work “as soon as is viable”.
LNER and O2 carried out almost a year of testing and site planning with specialist infrastructure provider Railsite Telecom.
“This is an important project for us as we seek to boost network coverage and capacity around the country,” said O2 CTO Brendan O’Reilly. “We’ve always looked to prioritise areas our customers need it the most, and upgrading busy transport hubs such as Newcastle Station will provide millions of customers with faster, more reliable network services.”
