USP and Cellnex sign an agreement to deploy 5G antennas in press kiosks

These stands will become key sites for deploying the Small Cells network required to improve connectivity in large cities.

The first newspaper stand equipped with these mini antennas will be on the Ramblas of Barcelona.

Barcelona, 12 December 2023. Urban Service Point (USP), a company set up in 2018 to  transform the newspaper stand sector by providing a multi-service model, and Cellnex Telecom, Europe’s principal telecommunications infrastructure operator, have signed an agreement to bring newspaper stands into the network of Small Cells deployed in cities by the infrastructure operator to improve connectivity, especially in areas with greater population density and high demand for data consumption.

The first newspaper stand in which these mini antennas will be installed is located on the famous Ramblas in Barcelona. Both companies plan to expand the deployment to other cities in Spain. USP currently has more than 300 newspaper stands in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Granada.

Small Cells are small antennas that can be housed in all types of urban fixtures (newspaper stands, bus shelters, street lights, traffic lights or shop signs) and blend in with the surroundings. In technological terms, they make it possible to increase the capacity and coverage of mobile networks and will play a key role in the required densification of networks, especially in rolling out technologies such as 5G in large cities, as a complement to the traditional telecommunications towers located on the rooftops of buildings.

5G connectivity will help transform the sector, which has been suffering a significant reduction in activity since 2008. Cellnex thus joins the network of Urban Service Point Partners, founded in 2018 to promote the viability of newspaper stands by transforming them into a network of service infrastructures. Luis Sancho, Director and co-founder of Urban Service Point (USP): “The newspaper stand serves citizens and cities. It cannot be imagined in any other way. It has always been like this and it must be the common denominator of all the projects that are betting on its transformation.” “In this connection, we are very grateful for Cellnex’s commitment to the transformation model of the newspaper stand sector that we are leading from Urban Service Point. This agreement will position newspaper stands as a principal network for the deployment of Small Cells, helping city councils to advance toward Smart Cities capabilities and providing an essential service for citizens.”

Jordi Sanchís, Director of Assets and Infrastructure at Cellnex Spain: “We are very grateful to USP for their flexibility and cooperation. As we seek solutions to help our clients, mobile operators, to densify mobile coverage in urban areas, we will continue to forge similar alliances throughout the territory.”

About Cellnex Telecom

The efficient deployment of next-generation connectivity is essential to drive technological innovation and accelerate inclusive economic growth. Cellnex is the independent wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructures operator that enables operators to access Europe’s most extensive network of advanced telecommunications infrastructures on a shared-use basis, helping to reduce access barriers for new operators and to improve services in the most remote areas.

Cellnex manages a portfolio of around 135,000 sites – including forecast roll-outs up to 2030 – in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. Cellnex’s business is structured in four major areas: telecommunications infrastructure services; audiovisual broadcasting networks, security and emergency service networks and solutions for smart urban infrastructure and services management (Smart cities and the “Internet of Things” (IoT)).

The company is listed on the continuous market of the Spanish stock exchange and is part of the selective IBEX 35 and EuroStoxx 100 indices. It is also present in the main sustainability indexes, such as CDP, Sustainalytics, FTSE4Good and MSCI. Cellnex’s reference shareholders include TCI, Edizione, GIC, Blackrock, CPP Investments, CK Hutchison, CriteriaCaixa and Norges Bank.