Vodafone and O2 in the UK, which already work in partnership to avoid site duplication for their respective base station deployments, have entered into a ten-year deal with infrastructure company Arqiva. The immediate aim seems faster expansion of the two firms’ 4G footprints as they try to catch up with market leader EE.

Malcolm Collins, managing director of Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd (CTIL) – the Vodafone/O2 network consolidation partnership formed in 2012 – welcomed the deal.

“The vast network of Arqiva’s sites across the UK is a core component of facilitating this consolidation for the mobile network operators,” he said. “This particularly offers us the opportunity to get the right site, at the right location, which will assist in driving better coverage, capacity and network speeds across cities, towns and rural locations for Vodafone and Telefonica UK customers.”

According to the press release, Arqiva will provide CTIL support on network consolidation and 4G deployment across the UK.

“Working in partnership with CTIL we are supporting the provision of the core footprint for the future of 4G in the UK,” said Nicolas Ott, Arqiva’s managing director of telecoms.As 4G continues its rapid uptake allowing consumers to enjoy a richer array of content on mobile devices, it is imperative that the infrastructure is in place to support this growth.”