Vodafone has unveiled a new space-saving 5G mast design that could lower the number of masts needed in some areas.

The new technology could also help to reduce numbers of street-level equipment cabinets and could boost the capacity and speed of Vodafone’s mobile network.

The new mast design, called ‘quad stack’ by network engineers, has been designed with London in mind.

Built-up areas often have less space for masts, so they need to be slimmer, with a smaller footprint as a result. The downside to this is that they cannot host all the antennae and radio units needed to provide 2G, 4G and 5G services to the surrounding area. The problem is especially acute in parts of the country where Vodafone shares masts with other mobile operators – needing a second mast to do so. The firm recently signed a decade-long deal with O2 to share network infrastructure in a bid to improve performance and coverage.

Unlike older masts, a single quad stack can support 2G, 4G and 5G thanks to various space-saving...