Imagine life without digital connectivity. It suddenly dawns on you how the limitations and restrictions that you would experience impact your daily life.

These past few months, living through a pandemic has demonstrated even more how much we rely on digital services. 

Many of us have been able to carry on working from home even without our work premises. We have been able to stay in touch with our family, friends and colleagues despite being in lockdown. We have had an array of online services available to us, be it grocery shopping, home-schooling facilities, virtual GP appointments, banking services…the list goes on. 

But let’s not forget, we relied heavily on digital connectivity even before the pandemic. Over the years, the launch of next-generation mobile technologies has provided convenience and flexibility amongst all age groups. As with anything, when you get a taste of something good, you want more! And that’s why the public demand for mobile connectivity is ever-increasing. 

The Mobile Network Operators are under the spotlight to deliver these demands. However, they can’t do this alone. A collaborative process is required when it comes to providing mobile connectivity and coverage within an area. Let’s focus on the mobile infrastructure services organisations, like ourselves, Cornerstone. We acquire and manage the mobile infrastructure on sites on behalf of our operators, Vodafone and O2 (Telefonica). We need to place telecoms infrastructure in the right place. Landowners, including individual landlords, local authorities, or utility providers, play a crucial part in this process, agreeing to house our mobile equipment on their land or rooftops. 

“We acquire and manage the mobile infrastructure on sites on behalf of our operators, Vodafone and O2 (Telefonica). We need to place telecoms infrastructure in the right place.”

For years, that’s how it’s worked. Operators are the “tenants,” which means in exchange for occupying the land with infrastructure, a rental fee is payable to the landowner. In basic terms, that’s fair and makes sense as far as the landlord and tenant relationship works but those rents were rising exponentially and the increasing operating costs of a site was hampering the level of investment required by the industry to boost the digital economy. The Government recognised that to encourage the further investment required, the Electronic Communications Code legislation, which regulates the relationship between operators and providers of land for sites, needed revising. And so, it was, in December 2017, intending to reduce the costs of housing phone masts and other communications infrastructure on private land. This creates more opportunities for faster and more reliable broadband and mobile services.  

Has it worked? That is the million-dollar question. Although the legislation was meant to make it easier and quicker to roll-out and upgrade mobile equipment on sites, it has not quite reached its objective. There are several reasons as to why this is. There is a reluctance in the lower rents offered; there are misinterpretations of what the Code rights mean; there are uncertainties on what the new land valuations mean. But with Code tribunal cases taken place over the past two years, it’s evident that the Code legislation itself needs refining. Although it has brought positive outcomes, the Code is not working as it intended which poses a risk to the Government’s future digital strategy.

Recognising this need for change, the Speed Up Britain campaign launched in July 2020 to help lobby the Government to close the loopholes in the Code. The campaign was founded by Mobile UK, Cellnex, Cornerstone and MBNL (the organisations responsible for delivering the UK’s mobile infrastructure). 

Speed Up Britain is calling on the Government to make targeted changes to the Code so we can efficiently continue to deploy the UK’s mobile infrastructure. Delivering reliable mobile connectivity will enable us to benefit from digital services and smart solutions. 

Let’s Speed Up Britain to join the future.

Belinda Fawcett
General Counsel and Property & Estates Director, Cornerstone

Visit www.speedupbritain.com

Mobile technology and 5G are a vital engine of socio-economic growth, that Cornerstone is proud to enable. The GSMA has published a concise educational booklet about 5G. It explains the technology, how the networks operate, covers international safety guidelines for radio frequency levels, and addresses FAQ’s in circulation about the safety of 5G. It’s well worth a read. Take a look for yourself.

View booklet

Digital connectivity is providing vital links socially and economically, with 5G having the potential to keep us even more connected. Recently, we have all witnessed how important connectivity is this and Cornerstone will continue to bring you shared knowledge and industry updates throughout our 5G In Focus series.

Assembly Research has recently launched a new report, “Delivering Gigabit Britain: Broadband for all”, which highlights recommendations on how the UK can meet its connectivity targets.

To launch the report, techUK hosted a webinar to discuss the key findings with representatives including Belinda Fawcett from Cornerstone, Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang and representatives from CityFibre, Cambridge Wireless and Broadband Stakeholder Group.

For many years, we have experienced how the growth of mobile services has made a positive impact on us individually and our business lives.

But it doesn’t stop there.

With the increasing public demand for next-generation mobile technology, the telecoms industry is constantly delivering its services and finding innovative ways on how to keep us all digitally connected.

Although it is always a focus, during the COVID-19 Pandemic that we are currently facing, it has become even more important to build stronger connections with the landlord community, as well as the property and legal industries.

Mobile connectivity is enabling us all to access the emergency services, work from home remotely and be socially connected.

We need to work together and refer to the Electronic Communications Code legislation (ECC), which was updated in December 2017, to help maintain and roll-out mobile infrastructure more quickly and easily. It’s up to us all to play our key roles and use the ECC to overcome any uncertainties, while we carry on deploying and upgrading the nation’s critical infrastructure.

At Cornerstone, the UK’s leading mobile infrastructure services provider, we have supported the Government’s intention behind the ECC. We have been at the forefront of implementing the Code for the acquisition and maintenance of our infrastructure, which is placed on rooftops, greenfield sites (mainly in rural locations) and street work sites.

The changes in the ECC have presented different opinions and interpretations within the industries. However, using the Ofcom Code of Practice, and taking guidance from the tribunal decisions, will help us all to unveil the correct use of the ECC.

Now, more than ever, let’s work together to stay digitally connected across the UK.

Carlos Pierce, Head of Legal Projects Strategy & The Code Programme
Cornerstone

Cornerstone is the UK’s leading mobile infrastructure services company set up as a joint venture between Vodafone and Telefónica.

To find out more about the Code, visit:
/landlords/site-guidance

Follow Cornerstone on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/cornerstonenetwork

During a recent roundtable hosted by The Lawyer and Cornerstone, both sides of a vibrant and passionate discussion about the rapidly changing world of UK digital connectivity were shared.

The transcript pdf below from the Lawyer roundtable offers a snapshot of the key issues discussed. Download and read the full transcript article.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TO HELP BOOST DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Church of England has partnered with Cornerstone, the mobile infrastructure services company who own and manage sites for Telefónica (O2) and Vodafone, to help deliver improved connectivity in areas currently suffering from poor mobile phone coverage.

Cornerstone has entered into an agreement with the Church of England under the recent Electronic Communications Code to assist local churches who want to host facilities to improve local connectivity.

The deal will deliver improved connectivity across rural communities and inner cities and provide much needed coverage in hard to reach areas.

The move follows an agreement with the Government last year encouraging the Church of England to use its buildings and other property to improve broadband, mobile and WiFi connectivity for local communities.

The deal, which takes the form of a memorandum of understanding, will help deliver improved mobile connectivity by providing an efficient, predictable and fair process. Each installation will need the support of the church concerned. The memorandum of understanding provides a framework to help both parties comply with relevant legal requirements including – crucially for churches – ecclesiastical law. And it simplifies the process, for example by providing template agreements for parishes and providers, with a trusted contractor to manage the process.

The National Church Institutions of the Church of England (NCIs) recognise that hosting digital infrastructure on churches brings numerous opportunities to local communities and businesses, particularly within rural areas.

Improving mobile connectivity provides better access to online services and offers greater social communication with family and friends. With good mobile coverage and better access to digital facilities, businesses can extend their reach, and benefit from the opportunity to enhance local economies. 

The Electronic Communications Code was updated in 2017 by the Government to make it easier to install and maintain mobile infrastructure to improve mobile connectivity across the UK. This deal, under Code principles, supports those ambitions. It shows how collaboration can achieve outcomes that allow mobile network operators to fulfil their obligations to improve mobile coverage, whilst also respecting the importance of churches as historic buildings and community resources.

Matt Warman, Minister for Digital and Broadband, said: “We want to improve people’s lives by boosting connectivity in some of our hardest-to-reach areas.

Churches have always been at the heart of our communities and it is fitting this new agreement will support new infrastructure to better connect people in the surrounding area and help tackle social isolation and improve access to services.”

Becky Clark, Director of Churches and Cathedrals, said: “Church of England churches have been hosting mobile-phone infrastructure to provide services to local people for over 25 years, and in that time the importance of having access to strong, reliable mobile network coverage has increased beyond measure.

Our 16,000 church buildings are a Christian presence in every community and have always been used to provide local people with help and support – from food banks and night shelters to harvest festivals and weddings.

This new agreement is in that same model; it does not place churches under any obligation, but for those which are well placed to support better mobile connectivity it gives them a clear way forward which protects their interests, and the building’s historic importance. Churches provide for the needs of everyday life, and in the 21st century mobile connectivity is a key part of that.”

Belinda Fawcett, General Counsel and Director of Property and Estates, Cornerstone, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Church of England to provide better mobile services. The Code legislation has assisted us in reaching an understanding and we are confident that the churches and their communities will greatly benefit from improved connectivity. We are also very aware that churches have a duty to look after the historic significance of their buildings when installing mobile infrastructure and won’t let this be compromised in any way. This deal illustrates that working together benefits not only the parties involved but the wider community, whilst upholding the Government’s ambitions for a digitally connected Britain.”
 

NOTES

• For further information on Cornerstone visit www.cornerstone.network 
• The Church of England has partnered with NET Coverage Solutions Ltd to support the site acquisition, design and installation process, and to facilitate site access for maintenance and upgrades.
• Further information can be found on the Parish Buying website: https://www.parishbuying.org.uk/categories/phone-and-broadband/mobile-phone-infrastructure with guidance on connectivity in churches on https://www.churchofengland.org/connectivity
• Churches wishing to express an interest in hosting mobile telecoms infrastructure should contact the Church of England’s delivery partner, NET Coverage Solutions Ltd, at CoE@netcs.eu

For any press related queries, please contact news@cornerstone.network

The article below by Carlos Pierce, Head of Legal Projects Strategy and The Code Programme at Cornerstone featured in the Briefings section of The Lawyer, September 2019. Carlos outlines the impact of the Electronic Communications Code.

For more than 18 months the telecoms, property and legal industries have faced a challenging journey created by the introduction of an updated Electronic Communications Code.

Landowners and operators recognised that the old Code was outdated and needed to be reformed to support the roll-out and maintenance of future network services to deliver greater connectivity to the UK public.

When the improved Code came into effect in December 2017, there was ambiguity as to how the industry would react. On the one hand, telecoms and infrastructure operators welcomed it as a mechanism for helping to keep up with the growing demand for mobile services. But on the opposite spectrum, there has been considerable resistance from property owners due to the changes it has presented.

Is resistance putting the future of UK connectivity at risk?

It seems that the primary objective of the legislation seems to have been forgotten – enabling the industry to deliver greater connectivity for everyone in the UK.

Enhanced mobile coverage, and reliable connectivity, will bring significant benefits to businesses, individuals and rural communities and will continue to do so as mobile generations grow. So why the reluctance by some parties to accept the Code?

A key issue is how much operators pay landowners for sites

One of the main differences in the Code is how it has affected rental income for the landowner. And this is really the crux of the issue. Both operators and landowners now accept that rents will fall. The question really is, by how much?

Good rental guidance has already been given by the tribunal in some early cases, but it appears that property owners are still reluctant to face those rent reductions.

But why? Comparably low rents are paid by gas and electricity companies for their infrastructure. And it is important to remember that the lowered rent is based on a new valuation methodology (well-established in the utility industries) to enable operators to realise savings to re-invest in their networks. It is not to improve the profits.

The previous system of landowners basing their rental figures on what it’s worth to the operator, hence the higher rents, wasn’t conducive for growing the mobile services sector – 5G and beyond – that we all demand as customers.

And is that the point? It’s easy to forget that the demand for improved mobile services is customer-led, by us, as consumers. It’s what we want.

At Cornerstone, we have been at the forefront of implementing the Code. We have been engaging with landlords, and their agents, to reach consensual agreements using the Code for site acquisitions and maintenance of our infrastructure which is placed on rooftops, greenfield sites in rural locations and street work sites such as lamp posts.

However, in situations where the Code has posed issues, these have been taken to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Although it’s not the ideal route, the tribunal outcomes have given further clarity on how the Code should be used by all parties.

Adhering to the Code

To further support the Electronic Communications Code, Ofcom produced a Code of Practice in 2017, to complement the Code, to help promote best practice in how it is implemented. It encourages all parties to respectfully, and professionally, engage so that we can ultimately work together to achieve better communication services. Surely, we should take advantage of this?

I have no doubt that the Code will help us all get to the end goal it set out to achieve. Our digital economy will go from strength to strength if we all adopt the new Code rationally. But there is a risk that failure to do so could impact the future of UK connectivity.

The Government has given a helping hand to the property and telecoms industries by directing them with the use of the updated Code. However, the legal industry should also recognise the part that it plays in taking a positive leadership role in facilitating the implementation of the Code to enable a greater connected UK.

Download the full article PDF here.

Electronic Communications Code

Carlos Pierce looks at the recent decision in EE Limited and Hutchison 3G UK Limited v The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Islington [2019] UKUT 53 (LC).

Read the full article here.

With the Electronic Communications Code bringing some uncertainty in the market, telecom operators and landowners have gone to tribunal cases to look for further clarity. Carlos Pierce, Head of Strategic Legal Projects & The Code Programme at Cornerstone explains these tribunal cases and advises on why it’s important to try and reach consensual deals as it would ultimately benefit us all with better mobile connectivity.

O2 and Vodafone strengthen their network partnership in the UK with 5G site sharing

Cornerstone welcome the 5G network agreement between Vodafone and O2 to speed up 5G roll-out with new site sharing across the UK. This agreement will see Cornerstone continue to have a vital and growing role at the heart of the digital transformation of the UK. Our infrastructure underpins the continued evolution of the mobile industry, providing better mobile services, enhanced capabilities and technical innovation for the benefit of tens of millions of customers in the UK.

To read the full statements from Telefónica UK Limited (“O2”) and Vodafone Limited (“Vodafone”) visit the links below.

Telefónica statement: https://news.o2.co.uk/press-release/o2-and-vodafone-finalise-5g-network-agreement-in-the-uk/
Published: 24/07/2019

Vodafone statement: https://mediacentre.vodafone.co.uk/news/vodafone-and-o2-finalise-5g-uk-network-agreement/
Published: 24/07/2019

With the increase in agricultural technology and more services available online, we appreciate that farmers can benefit from the latest information and trends direct through their mobile devices. Having real-time information and immediate access to services such as the weather forecast, commodity prices and agricultural suppliers can make a big difference and directly increase productivity.

Delivering mobile infrastructure across the UK is vital if we want to take advantage of what digital connectivity can offer. Just as businesses and individuals rely on mobile phones to keep connected, operators also need to rely on mobile infrastructure to deliver services to their customers.

Cornerstone, the leader in UK mobile infrastructure is committed to delivering excellent mobile connectivity to support the UK digital economy. Working with over 12,000 landlords, our mobile infrastructure is placed on rooftops, greenfield sites in rural locations and street work sites for our customers who include Vodafone and Telefónica. Our landlords play a critical role in helping us to achieve this.

The Government also recognises the importance of mobile connectivity in rural areas and has revised the Electronic Communications Code legislation to help deliver digital services more quickly and easily within the UK. Changes have been brought in to give clarity for landowners and operators concerning putting mobile infrastructure on sites.

To truly experience a well-connected society and enhance rural connectivity, we believe engaging with the landlord community and working together will help us all to achieve the next generation of connectivity. We are already starting to see this happen and are encouraged that this trend will continue with our landlords.

If you would like to speak to Cornerstone, please write to us through our contact page on www.cornerstone.network or to: Landlord Communications, Hive 2, 1530 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Berkshire, RG7 4SA.