London, UK, 24th July 2025 – Visitors, residents, students and businesses in Bristol’s historic Clifton area will now benefit from an improved mobile experience and faster speeds as O2 small cells are deployed across the area.
O2 and Ontix have partnered to deploy small cells in some of the busiest areas across Clifton, including around the University of Bristol’s key buildings, the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor centre, and popular shopping and dining areas. With thousands of tourists visiting the Clifton Suspension Bridge annually and a large student population, the small cells are providing a crucial boost to network capacity in these high-footfall locations.
O2 and Ontix are working together to deploy small cells in high-demand areas all across the UK, including towns and cities such as London, Birmingham, Reading, Cambridge, Plymouth and Chester. Small cells continue to bring value as a cost-effective solution to improving network connectivity in dense urban environments.
Richard Williams, Director of Acquisition at Ontix, said: “The historic area of Clifton is renowned for its connection to Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his iconic innovation, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Just as Brunel led the way in engineering excellence, Ontix is driving innovation in connectivity with our small cell technology. By enhancing connectivity services, Ontix and O2 are ensuring the community benefits from world-class connections, aligning with the area’s rich legacy of progress and ingenuity.”
Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of Bristol City Council’s Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “With mobile communications a key part of daily life, coverage and speed issues are frustrating. Bristol has a number of areas, often where people gather, where the network is not up to the first-class standards people expect of a major UK city. Digital connectivity is vital for our city’s future prosperity, so we’re working with telecom companies like Ontix and O2, who are investing in Bristol’s digital infrastructure. Ontix used our street lighting columns in areas with poor mobile connectivity to boost mobile service, benefiting our residents and visitors alike. Thank you to our highways officers for working with telecom partners to improve Bristol’s digital infrastructure.”
Dr Rob Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at Virgin Media O2, said: “Our Mobile Transformation Plan will see us invest £700m into our mobile network this year to ensure our customers consistently receive an exceptional network experience wherever they are and even at the busiest times.”
“Small cells are an important part of this investment, offering an effective way to provide a local network boost to keep up with rising customer demand. Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of the most iconic locations in the country and customers can now benefit from a more reliable network when visiting this local landmark.”
These upgrades are part of O2’s Mobile Transformation Plan, which will see the operator invest approximately £700m this year to future-proof its mobile network. The plan is focused on expanding 4G and 5G coverage, a dedicated small cells rollout to boost capacity in dense urban areas, and innovative solutions to address persistent network pain points, including along railway lines, at airports, on motorways, and in stadiums and arenas.
O2 also recently announced that it had agreed a deal with Vodafone UK to acquire 78.8 MHz of spectrum, bringing the operator’s total spectrum holding to approximately 30% of UK mobile spectrum and materially enhancing the company’s network position.
