A version of this news article first appeared on the SCF website on 25 February 2026

Connecting Cambridgeshire is proud to support the Small Cell Forum’s new Local Authority Connectivity Group – launched at the end of February 2026 to help bridge the gap between local authorities and the small cells industry.

Small Cell Forum (SCF) is the world’s leading organisation driving the development and adoption of small cell technology to enable, agile, and sustainable 4G/5G mobile infrastructure.

This new initiative will develop practical blueprints, templates, and toolkits to help councils accelerate the roll-out of high‑quality mobile connectivity in towns, cities and rural areas – particularly in areas where traditional mobile masts struggle to meet demand.

SCF is currently working with UK Local Authorities but, in future the scope will extend to other countries. The hope is that the resources developed by the UK group will be easily adaptable for use by authorities and municipalities planning small cell networks for public spaces anywhere in the world.

The work is being led by a Steering Group, made up of representatives from Oxfordshire County Council, Glasgow City Council and Cambridgeshire Country Council (CCC), along with SCF member representative companies Wireless Infrastructure Group, BT Group, and representatives from the SCF leadership team.

With CCC represented on the steering group by Michael Stevens, Senior Programme Manager – Digital Infrastructure – Connecting Cambridgeshire, we’re helping to shape solutions that make it easier to deploy small cells where macro networks can’t meet demand.

Michael Stevens said: “Being part of the Local Authority Connectivity Group is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that Local Authorities are engaged with mobile industry. By working collaboratively, we can develop practical, scalable approaches that help Local Authorities improve mobile coverage in the places that need it most.”

Craig Bower, Digital Infrastructure Programme Director, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Our connectivity team is delighted to be a part of this new initiative. Having had experience and success with small cell deployments in Oxfordshire we are keen to share our experience and knowledge with the industry and with other councils.

“We all have a common goal: to improve connectivity for people living in our cities, towns and villages because it is a vital requirement for everyday life. How this is fully achieved is still being discussed, but small cells are certainly part of the answer in many cases. It can sometimes be challenging to get connectivity projects off the ground due to planning considerations and lack of funding. But, as part of our work with SCF we can share our requirements, collectively look for solutions, and support other councils going through the same process.”

Simon Fletcher, Chief Strategy Officer of Small Cell Forum, added: “The Local Authority Connectivity Group initiative gives us valuable two-way communication with the end-users of connectivity solutions. This helps us fully understand their needs and pain-points so we can factor in the impact of everything from the size and aesthetics of small cell hardware, to the operator and neutral host models for deploying networks. We are learning from each other and it’s allowing us to develop new ways to support the roll-out of small cells in public spaces.”

To sign up for email updates from the Local Authority Connectivity Group, or to get involved visit www.smallcellforum.org/local-authority-connectivity-group