Cellnex

Background

About Cellnex

Cellnex Telecom is Europe’s leading operator of wireless telecommunications infrastructures with a portfolio of 130,000 sites including forecast rollouts up to 2030. Cellnex operates in Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, and Portugal. Cellnex’s business is structured in four major areas: telecommunications infrastructure services; audiovisual broadcasting networks, mission and business critical networks and solutions for smart urban infrastructure and services management (Smart cities e the “Internet of Things” (IoT)).

The Cellnex Ireland business launched in 2015 with the acquisition of 300 sites from Irish state forestry company Coillte, and through further acquisitions and investment now has as portfolio of over 1,800 sites. Cellnex specialises in maximising the efficient use of tower infrastructure through hosting the equipment of multiple operators on its sites, thereby reducing costs for users and reducing the proliferation of unnecessary towers. www.cellnex.ie

Challenge

One of Cellnex’s main business models is the deployment of new telecommunications infrastructure for use by the Mobile Network Operators & other Wireless Providers across Ireland.  Cellnex uses its in-depth industry knowledge to identify the areas that will interest operators looking to scale and offer connectivity to their customers.

Once the site has been identified, Cellnex requires support to manage the complete turnkey process from initial survey, through detailed design to build in the shortest time frame possible including obtaining Council planning permission where required.

Solution

Indigo’s end-to-end process manages the entire infrastructure design and build process for Cellnex once a site has been identified.

• Legal duties under the Construction Regulations. ( Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013);
  • PSDP (Project Supervisor Design Process)
  • PSCS (Project Supervisor Construction Stage)
• Site Design including:
  • In-Depth Site Surveys (MSV)
  • Drone Surveys
  • 3D Modelling and Data Processing
  • Geotechnical Investigations
  • Radio Pans
  • Tx Line of Sight Surveys (LoS)
  • Detailed Design Drawings (for construction)
  • Landscaping Schemes
  • Fibre Provisioning
• Town Planning services including submission of applications, and appeals if required
  • Including retention applications
• Management of mains ESB power to site from application to end metered connection
• Site Build process – Indigo manages and coordinates the entire construction process – typically within six weeks, a foundation is built and the telecoms infrastructure is erected. Indigo also handles access and security elements such as compound fencing and gates and permanent or temporary access tracks, and the site is powered ready for occupation.

Results

Indigo ensures that the site is primed and ready for Cellnex’s customers, the operators, to attend and install their own equipment.

In an average time of just 8 months, Indigo enables Cellnex to progress from Site Selection to Site Built & ready for use.

A more strategic approach and stronger partnerships has resulted in the following:

• Surveys completed = 400
• Planning applications submitted = 295
• Retention applications submitted = 102
• Applications granted (% success rate) = 85%
• Designs completed = 350
• Builds accepted (RFO) = 304

With over 25 years of experience and technical knowledge, Indigo paves the way for overground and underground installations in every kind of challenging environment – whether it be in built-up urban areas or remote rural areas. Indigo’s teams comprise multi-discipline skill sets, including Radio Engineers, Property Specialists, Town Planners, Technical Solutions Architects, Structural and Civil Engineers, Build Supervisors and highly adept Project Managers.