9th February , 2004

Inset above : Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale, City Councillor Steve Davies and County Councillor Eveleigh Moore Dutton were joined by Chester town crier, David Mitchell, to ring in the beginning of the exciting new era in communications for Chester.

Europe UK : Prospects for attracting new business investment to Chester could be boosted by a ground-breaking telecommunication partnership BT has announced.

Not only will it mean better coverage for users of existing mobile phone services, it shall also enable the introduction of exciting new applications via emerging Third Generation (3G) technologies.

This new approach, along with other solutions being developed by BT, will enable mobile operators to offer a greater range of new high speed, multimedia services. 3G is set to revolutionise the way we communicate and this development enables Chester, its residents and businesses to be at the forefront of the technological revolution.

Cheshire County Council and Chester City Council are the first UK local authorities to sign a partnership deal to enable BT to place low-powered, discreet (15cms, 6”) transmitters on existing street signs, lamp-posts and CCTV poles. The new system, known as Microconnect DA, is one of several mobile-coverage initiatives being developed by BT Wholesale to minimise visual impact in city centres or areas of natural beauty.

The small, low-powered transmitters will be fixed at least 4 metres above ground. At street level, exposure from the transmitters is typically between a thousand and a million times below that of a mobile phone.

Announcing the agreement, Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale, said: “Together with the City and County Councils, we are leading the way in adopting this collaborative approach to ensuring better mobile coverage. They will be the first local authorities to use our new Microconnect DA system which is BT’s innovative response to help mobile operators meet the growing demand from the UK’s mobile phone users.

“Microconnect DA system will save duplication by mobile network operators by sharing discreet, low-power transmitters on existing street furniture. This offers the potential to reduce the use of traditional tall masts in town and city centres.”

Councillor Steve Davies, Chester City Council cabinet member for ICT and E-government, said: “Chester is fully supportive of this innovative project which is ideally suited to a heritage city, because shared use of discreet antennas by different mobile phone companies will help minimise the number of transmitter sites needed to satisfy the ever increasing demand for mobile communications in this thriving heritage city. We hope to continue working with BT to identify and provide future additional community benefits.”

Councillor Eveleigh Moore Dutton, Cheshire County Council executive member for ICT and Communications, added: “This partnership offers the best of all worlds. It will help BT to meet the needs of businesses, enable businesses to stay competitive and should help attract more businesses to this part of Cheshire – without compromising best practice environmental health guidelines.”

BT will now work closely with Cheshire County Council, Chester City Council and the mobile operators to determine a coverage plan for the city, incorporating any comments from local organisations and local people.

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