About Clarke Telecom

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Clarke Telecom is unique because it offers a total site solution:

• Initial feasablity of a single potential site or even an entire property portfolio.
• Potentially viable sites are presented to all five UK mobile phone operators.
• Detailed survey and submission.
• Planning, design and construction.
• Site support services and maintenance.

Background to the Industry

Mobile phones are now a part of everyday life. They have moved from executives toy to become as ubiquitous as a television or microwave. Roughly 45,000 people have bought a mobile phone in the UK today, adding to the 41 million handsets already in use. Beneath the trendy exterior however, lays a very sophisticated two-way transmitter that needs to be in constant contact to a network of masts and base-stations.

As the popularity of mobile phones increases, so does the need for the network that supports them. Currently there are around 50,000 sites in the UK, a network that has been built up over the course of the past 15 years. They are divided up into three types:-

• Green-field sites - on land that has had no previous development.
• Brown-field sites - on land that has typically seen industrial activity.
• Rooftop sites.

Coverage is first established in urban areas to maximize population coverage, before moving out to major carriageways and finally, rural areas.

The current generation of mobile phones, known as 2G, has been in use for a decade now, and the network infrastructure is in its final stages. It is with the advent of a new generation of mobile phone that the next stage of network development will commence. It is very important to the Cellular Telephone Operators (CTO's) that the 3G network is rolled out, so they can start to recoup some of the four billion pounds that they each paid to the government for their license. 3G is a convergence of mobile telephony and information systems. Hardware will change to accommodate these new services - mobile phones will evolve to offer rich multimedia content similar to interactive television and video. As a direct result, there will be an increase in the amount of transmitter sites to accommodate the increase in data being sent, as well as the need for population and geographical coverage.

A typical network rollout for 3G is expected to reach 95% population coverage by 2007. As a minimum, the license regulation states that network operators must achieve 80% population coverage by 2007 - an estimate of an extra 25,000 sites by 2005.

With the increase in transmitter sites however, there has been a backlash fuelled by worries over health and the detrimental effect they can have on the landscape. Although the Stewart Report concluded that 'the balance of evidence does not suggest mobile phone technologies put the health of the general population of the UK at risk,' the mobile phone operators believe that the key to successfully addressing public concerns about mobile phone masts lies in improved dialogue with the community based on communication and consultation. Together, the CTO's came up with the 'Operators Ten Commandments.' One of the initiatives included read:

'Establishment of clear, transparent and accountable criteria across the industry to speed up and increase site sharing, where appropriate, with progress published regularly'

This is an important point, as mast sharing has not been fully exploited in the past as CTO's worked to establish their own networks and independence. The tightening of legislation and the massive debts run up by the operators, has meant that they are now looking to work together to reduce costs. Under the terms of their license the operators are expected to share any existing structures in order to reduce the number of new structures wherever possible.

Until recently, virtually all the masts were owned and run by the operators. A few years ago operators started to outsource owning and operating masts. Currently independent companies operate 20% of radio sites, and this is expected to rise to 70% by 2005.

These 'third party' owned sites maximize the revenue for the landowner and reduce the irritation associated with holding negotiations with five different companies. They provide a 'one-stop-shop' that acts as a conduit, communicating with the operators, seeking out the best sites and inviting them to pay a rent for a space on the tower, space that the third party has in-turn leased from the landowner. Planning authorities look kindly upon site sharing, whilst the increase in revenue that this brings can drastically increase the annual income of a site. It is the future of mobile phone masts in the UK, one where everyone could stand to benefit.

The Next Step.....

• Submit site information to Clarke Telecom for desktop study.
• Allow access, where necessary, for Clarke Telecom to carry out site surveys.
• Agree the form of lease with Clarke Telecom.
• Receive revenue from sites for duration of lease term.