Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL), the joint venture between T-Mobile UK and 3 UK, has selected Arqiva as its strategic partner for the provision of cell sites.
Under the terms of the ten year agreement, Arqiva will provide MBNL with 5,100 sites and Arqiva will have exclusive marketing rights for site sharing services on a further 2,500 sites.
T-Mobile UK and 3 UK entered into an infrastructure consolidation agreement in January 2008 with the objective of creating the UK's most extensive 3G network by 2010 and reducing capital investment in infrastructure: the decommissioning of an estimated 5,000 sites and lower operational costs achieved by jointly managing and maintaining a shared network is expected to generate a joint saving of £2 billion over ten years.
Graham Payne, managing director of MBNL, says, "The Arqiva team has given us a lot of confidence in its ability to quickly deliver the sites and upgrades as the pace of network consolidation rapidly increases over the course of 2009. We are delighted to have Arqiva as our strategic partner and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."