As the UK charts its course toward nationwide 5G and beyond, one truth is increasingly clear: the traditional approach to mobile infrastructure can’t deliver future networks at the pace or scale required. But by learning from global leaders, embracing small cell deployment at scale, and redefining how we collaborate, both as an industry and with local government, real progress is within reach.
Here’s how Cornerstone sees the path forward:
1. Planning reform should enable progress, not delay it
Global markets are showing what pragmatic planning looks like. In Sweden, rooftop installations that don’t materially change a building’s appearance are often exempt from planning permission, a simple exemption with significant impact. Ireland and Scotland are following suit with rooftop solar, recognising that infrastructure serving a wider societal benefit shouldn’t be trapped in bureaucracy.
The same logic must apply to mobile networks. Small cells and neutral host solutions are essential to urban 4G and 5G rollout, and the planning environment must reflect that.
Public sector leadership also plays a critical role. Estonia’s EstWin project is a model of how central coordination, clear targets, and public-private alignment can drive digital infrastructure forward. By contrast, UK infrastructure providers often face fragmented local authority engagement, with unclear roles and inconsistent processes.
To enable meaningful progress, the UK needs a new engagement model, one that brings the right decision-makers to the table early and treats connectivity as a form of critical infrastructure.
2. Small cells aren’t emerging, they’ve arrived
With macro deployments reaching diminishing returns, particularly in dense and constrained areas, small cells are no longer a future concept. They’re the practical solution for delivering high-capacity, low-latency coverage in areas where traditional infrastructure isn’t viable.
Cornerstone’s Small Cell Coverage Solutions are already addressing these challenges head-on, particularly in environments with high footfall or space limitations. The model is neutral host by design, supporting all mobile network operators and leveraging existing assets like street lighting and street furniture in partnership with Signify and IONX Networks.
With over 10% of the macro estate already digitised using drone surveys and digital twins, Cornerstone applies the same smart tools to accelerate and de-risk small cell deployments. This data-led approach enables faster planning, improved sustainability, and reduced on-site disruption.
And this isn’t just about closing gaps. Small cells are foundational to smart cities, connected transport, AR learning, and digital public services. They’re enabling the future, not waiting for it.
3. Shared infrastructure isn’t a compromise, it’s a catalyst
Yes, small cells and fibre are capex-heavy. But they don’t need to be commercially daunting, if approached differently.
Cornerstone’s long-standing neutral host model offers a clear solution. Shared infrastructure reduces cost, duplication, and time-to-market by aggregating demand across mobile network operators. The result is higher utilisation and lower risk; benefits that apply as much to street-level deployments as they do to traditional towers.
Intelligent deployment also matters. With tools like digital twins, remote mapping, and predictive modelling embedded from day one, infrastructure becomes not just more efficient to install, but smarter to manage long-term.
The key is reframing infrastructure not as a sunk cost, but as a scalable value enabler, enabling better coverage, better experience, heightened public safety, and new opportunities for service innovation.
4. Local authorities aren’t blockers, they’re enablers (if we let them be)
One of the biggest inhibitors to infrastructure rollout is misalignment, often due to misunderstanding how local government operates.
In the UK, councils vary widely in function and authority. County councils may not be planning authorities. Planning officers may not be the right point of entry. Infrastructure providers must invest in understanding these structures and build relationships accordingly.
Cornerstone is advocating for a more mature engagement model, one that makes collaboration easier and more productive from the start. By using digital tools like drone surveys and 3D visualisations, we make community consultation more transparent and efficient, helping address concerns around design, aesthetics, and disruption.
Importantly, the tone is shifting. More local authorities now see mobile infrastructure as a public asset, essential to economic development, service delivery, and safety. The opportunity is to meet that interest with support, data, and delivery expertise.
5. Infrastructure sharing isn’t optional, it’s inevitable
Infrastructure sharing is not a new idea. Cornerstone has built its business on it for more than a decade. But what’s new is the breadth of the opportunity.
The same principles that have made macro sharing successful are now being applied to small cells, smart street assets, and even emerging CaaS models. The technology exists. The commercial models exist. What’s needed now is alignment, across operators, government, and partners, to move with purpose.
Shared infrastructure accelerates deployment, cuts cost, and extends connectivity to more people, more quickly. In a market as complex as the UK, that makes it not just viable, but vital.
Final thought: Let’s move from talking to building
The UK has no shortage of ambition around digital connectivity. But if the sector is serious about delivering next-generation networks, it must move beyond pilot projects and siloed initiatives.
Cornerstone’s message is clear: take inspiration from global examples. Embrace small cells at scale. Build better partnerships with local authorities. And treat infrastructure sharing not as a challenge to navigate, but as a strategic advantage to unlock.
The time for debate is ending. The time for delivery is here. Let’s get on with it.
www.cornerstone.network/small-cells
by Vidhu Mayer, Senior Propositions Manager, Cornerstone
