Read Cornerstone’s latest article in the Estates Gazette where it talks about ICNIRP, exclusion zones and 5G.

As 5G technology roll-out continues through 2020, we will start to experience improved digital services in the UK. To make this possible, upgrades to existing sites and additional base stations will be required. The UK national government considers the rapid deployment of 5G to be critical to economic development.

Cornerstone, the UK’s leading mobile infrastructure services company, acquire, manage and maintain over 20,000 mobile phone base station sites across the UK. 

Our health and safety procedures during deployment and maintenance of these base stations were recognised when Cornerstone was awarded the OHSAS 18001, the International Standard for an effective Occupational Health and Safety Management System. 

The myth about exclusion zones, ICNIRP and 5G

Mobile phone base stations and devices use radio waves, high-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF), to transfer information and make communication possible. Radio waves are used for television and radio transmissions, by the emergency services, public utilities, and many more. They are used for a wide range of personal and commercial equipment such as navigational devices, WiFi equipment, and monitoring devices. EMFs are also produced by household electrical appliances like fridges, vacuum cleaners, or electric shavers. 

The guidelines that apply to the construction and operation of base stations were developed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), following a comprehensive assessment of all the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The Government has adopted these in the UK, as well as many other countries. 

When deploying electronic communications apparatus, Cornerstone provides exclusion zones to site providers. Exclusion zones are the areas that are prohibited for workers to enter, due to the presence of mobile infrastructure. These exclusion zones ensure no one is subjected to excessive levels of radiation.

There has been some recent debate on how the addition of 5G technology to some sites may result in larger exclusion zones compared to 3G and 4G only sites, and what the impact is on occupational workers and the public. It’s important to recognise that the overall exposure to radio waves with 5G will be designed to remain well within the international health-related guideline levels.

In the UK, the statutory limit regarding exposure to electromagnetic fields is defined in the Control of Electromagnetic Field at Works Regulations 2016 (CEMFAW). It applies to all occupational exposure irrespective of work tasks, including the likes of caretakers, lift contractors, and air conditioning engineers.

Given the expertise required to assess radiofrequency exposure around antennas, site providers do not have liability for the health and safety of emissions. The operator or Cornerstone is the only organisation that has the expertise to manage those emissions on our network. 

Cornerstone will ensure that all sites in our network comply with the ICNIRP guidelines using our highly effective, 5G ready processes. We are committed to addressing 5G concerns and if you would like to find out more about Radio Frequency Compliance, visit:

www.cornerstone.network/radiofrequencycompliance

As the demand for reliable mobile coverage increases within the agricultural industry, building stronger connections with landowners has become even more imperative.

Many farmers of today are relying on mobile connectivity in rural areas, to be able to take advantage of agricultural technology and online services to help increase productivity.

Cornerstone, the leaders in UK mobile infrastructure services, is committed to delivering the best-in-class mobile connectivity to support the UK digital economy. Working with over 12,000 landlords, we help keep our society well-connected by placing our mobile infrastructure on rooftops, greenfield sites in rural locations and street work sites.

We recognise that digital access is vital for the rural community and therefore, to achieve a well-connected society, we believe engaging with landowners and working together will help us deliver the next generation of connectivity.

If you would like to find out more or speak to Cornerstone, please visit:

www.cornerstone.network/about/contact

Alternatively, you can write to:

Landlord Communications, Hive 2, 1530 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Berkshire, RG7 4SA.

The roll-out of 5G has started! To fully experience its benefits, property owners and telecom operators need to work together to deliver it nationally.

Cornerstone, the leaders in UK mobile infrastructure services is committed to providing best in class mobile connectivity to the UK digital economy. Our mobile infrastructure helps keep our society well connected by being placed on rooftops, greenfield sites in rural locations and street work sites such as lamp-posts.

Working collaboratively with our landlords, who are critical in helping us to deliver the infrastructure needed for maintaining and improving mobile services, is important to us.

As the demand for reliable mobile coverage continues, building stronger connections with the landlord community and property industry has become even more imperative.

We all benefit from digital services whether for personal or business use. Recognising how our rural and urban societies have become reliant on mobile connectivity, the Government continues to support the updated Electronic Communications Code legislation to help deliver digital services efficiently and quickly within the UK.

The legislation may still divide opinion within the industry, but at Cornerstone we want to engage with our landlords to help us all understand how we can best use it as a guide, to be able to roll out mobile infrastructure for a better-connected future.

If you would like to find out more or speak to Cornerstone, please visit our contact page. Alternatively, you can write to Landlord Communications, Hive 2, 1530 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Berkshire, RG7 4SA.

The demand for mobile connectivity in rural and urban areas is increasing and helping to keep up with this, Cornerstone needs to identify areas where electronic communications apparatus such as masts, antennas and dishes can be installed. To achieve this and to continue to improve mobile phone services around the UK, Cornerstone often needs to carry out a Multi-Skilled Visit (MSV) before acquiring or upgrading a site. 

A Multi-Skilled Visit is a site survey carried out by a variety of individuals on behalf of operators who assess whether a site is suitable for the installation and operation of mobile services infrastructure.

Find out more about Multi-Skilled Visits by visiting www.cornerstone.network/landlords/MSV and download the brochure and FAQ.

Belinda Fawcett, General Counsel & Property and Estates Director at Cornerstone talks to Total Telecom about why faster deployment of mobile infrastructure is needed to roll out 5G and deliver better mobile connectivity in UK. The interview highlights what are the current issues, specifically around the updated Code legislation and what needs to be done to overcome them.

Read the article by Carlos Pierce, Head of Strategic Legal Projects & The Code Programme at Cornerstone, on how landlords play a key role in the UK mobile industry.

Landlords play a key role in the UK’s mobile industry, but is uncertainty on land rentals affecting the progress and ultimate capability of the UK digital economy?

In today’s fast-paced environment, we are always looking for ways to save time and increase efficiency in a cost-effective way. Using a mobile device which gives us 24/7 access to almost anything is one way to achieve this whether that is communicating with colleagues anywhere in the world; making wireless payments; requesting emergency services; shopping online; conducting research or reporting issues real-time. The flexibility that mobile communications have created over the years is incredible.

Whatever your reason for using a mobile device, it is clear that many of us rely on having instant mobile access in our daily lives…it’s become a necessity rather than a luxury. A report by We Are Social and Hootsuite (Global Digital Report 2019) showed that the number of unique mobile phone users in 2019 was 5.112 billion worldwide – up 2% in the past year.

Cornerstone, leaders in UK mobile infrastructure services, are committed to providing high-class mobile connectivity to the UK digital economy. Our mobile infrastructure which is placed on rooftops, greenfield sites in rural locations and street work sites such as lamp-posts helps keep our society well connected.

Site landlords play a crucial role in enabling Cornerstone to build the infrastructure needed for mobile connectivity. We work collaboratively with them to streamline the process of building an even better communications network in the UK by placing masts where they are needed most. Without their partnership, it will have a detrimental effect on the mobile services we benefit from today. The Government recognises the vital co-operation between landlords and telecom operators and renewed the Electronic Communications Code legislation in 2017 with the objective for both parties to work together in delivering a prosperous UK digital economy.

The legislation is a step in the right direction to further boost digitalisation. The difference in how land is valued and how landowners charge rent has been one of the main changes in the Electronic Communications Code legislation. The valuation of the land is now based on its worth to the landowner rather than the operator to create a fair land acquisition model. To roll out technology more quickly and efficiently, operators can upgrade and share equipment directly on the land. Whilst these legislative changes may need some fine tuning, it’s important that their objectives remain at the top of the agenda if we are to maintain and expand our mobile infrastructure to keep up with the ever-growing demand of connectivity. It is in the interest of the operators and landowners that neither of us becomes a bottleneck to placing masts on sites. If that happens we won’t reap the mutual benefits of enhanced network coverage and connectivity that we all need. Communication is crucial between landlords and telecom operators to reach a common understanding to quickly roll out masts across rural and urban areas.

The demand for mobile communications will continue to grow through generations to come. Cornerstone is very aware of this fact with our goal not to stay in the past but to join the future.

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

This article appears as an advertorial on page 4 of the 22 February 2019 edition of Property Week. To read the article and this edition of Property Week click here.