On 2 June, Oxfordshire County Council’s Digital Infrastructure Programme (DIP) was represented on a high‑profile speaker panel at the Small Cells World Summit, one of the leading international events focused on the future of wireless connectivity.
Craig Bower, Director of the Oxfordshire County Council Digital Infrastructure Programme, joined Session 2: Public–private partnerships alongside colleagues from local government and industry to explore how collaboration can accelerate the deployment of next‑generation digital infrastructure.
Strengthening collaboration to enable better connectivity
The panel brought together public and private sector voices to discuss practical approaches to partnership working, particularly in relation to small cell deployment, mobile coverage and shared infrastructure. Discussions focused on how local authorities and industry can work together to overcome barriers such as planning, access to assets and long‑term investment certainty.
For Oxfordshire, these themes closely align with the Digital Infrastructure Programme’s ambition to enable inclusive, resilient and future‑ready connectivity across the county.
Reflecting on the event, Craig Bower said:
“The Small Cells World Summit was a highly productive and energising event. It was particularly encouraging to see public and private sector partners coming together with a shared focus on innovation in wireless connectivity. I had valuable conversations with both new contacts and long‑standing partners, all committed to finding practical ways to deliver better digital infrastructure for communities.”
Anna Miles, Digital Infrastructure Project Manager, DIP team, attended both days of the event and described it as a real success:
“It was a brilliant, really well‑organised and friendly event – even better than last year. I attended both days and met a huge range of people, from familiar faces to new contacts across the small cells world.
The Local Authority connectivity breakfast briefing on day two was particularly valuable. Having a dedicated space for local authorities to share what they’re doing with small cells is something I haven’t seen at any other UK event, and it made a change from hearing only from suppliers.
There were lots of interesting speakers, a strong focus on local authorities, and great opportunities to connect LAs with suppliers who could help address real mobile connectivity challenges. It was also encouraging to hear Ofcom recognise the need to improve their mapping data, and to see Small Cell Outdoor *JOTS moving closer to reality – opening up new connectivity options not just for urban areas and events, but for rural places too.
Overall, it was a great networking event and a positive sign that the small cell industry is really getting up to speed. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!”
*Outdoor Joint Operators Technical Specification (JOTS) is a shared industry standard that makes it easier, quicker and cheaper to install outdoor small cells, helping improve mobile connectivity for both urban and rural areas.
Building on established partnerships
One of the fellow panellists was Michael Stevens from Connecting Cambridgeshire, with whom Oxfordshire already has a strong working relationship through England’s Connected Heartland — a cross‑authority programme bringing together local authorities to collaborate on large‑scale digital infrastructure delivery.
England’s Connected Heartland demonstrates how collaboration at scale can create greater certainty for industry, share expertise between councils and unlock investment that would be difficult to achieve in isolation.
You can find out more about this work on the England’s Connected Heartland project page.
Active leadership within the Small Cell Forum
Oxfordshire’s presence at the summit also reflects the council’s ongoing leadership role within the sector. The Oxfordshire DIP team are members of the Small Cell Forum’s Local Authority Connectivity Group, having been one of the first three local authorities invited to join.
This group brings together councils from across the UK to work directly with industry on shared challenges and best practice around small cell deployment and mobile connectivity. Through this membership, Oxfordshire helps to shape national conversations while ensuring that local authority perspectives are embedded in emerging solutions.
More information about Oxfordshire’s involvement can be found in our article on joining the Small Cell Forum’s Local Authority Connectivity Group.
Looking ahead
Participation in events such as the Small Cells World Summit reinforces Oxfordshire’s commitment to proactive engagement with industry and peer authorities. By sharing insight, building partnerships and learning from others, the Digital Infrastructure Programme continues to support better connectivity outcomes for residents, businesses, and public services across the county.