Cornerstone, the UK’s leading passive telecom infrastructure provider with nearly 15,700 sites, is set to rewire the towerco business model. In a new partnership with lighting giant Signify and neutral host platform Dense Air, the company is spearheading an urban small cell deployment using Oxford’s street lighting network. This will mark one of the most significant neutral host rollouts in the UK to date — and a signal of what’s to come.

Oxford is the first of three UK cities scheduled to benefit from the deployment in 2025, aligning with government ambitions to position the city as “Europe’s Silicon Valley”. By embedding small cell technology into Signify’s BrightSites street lighting and using Dense Air’s cell Share® platform to virtualise network access, the project enables multiple MNOs to deliver 4G and 5G coverage without requiring additional vertical infrastructure.

“This initiative not only enhances mobile coverage but also reinforces Oxford’s position as a leader in digital innovation,” said Pat Coxen, CEO of Cornerstone. “We are working with partners and local authorities to transform urban infrastructure, support economic growth, and create more connected communities.”

Unlike traditional towerco-MNO contracts, the model here blends the functions of tower owner, neutral host and smart city integrator. Cornerstone provides the passive infrastructure and relationships with MNOs, while Signify brings the physical layer through its lighting network and Dense Air adds the virtualised, multi-tenant access layer. Together, they form a new kind of urban digital infrastructure platform.

Jim Estes, CEO of Dense Air, emphasised the model’s scalability. “By leveraging small cells, we’re creating a future-proof model for cities across the UK,” he said.

The Oxford deployment is being pitched as a replicable model for other UK cities. Two further unnamed cities are expected to join the rollout later in 2025. TowerXchange understands that this is one of the most advanced examples of smart street infrastructure supporting shared mobile networks, and that early conversations are underway to take the model nationwide.

Local authorities have welcomed the project. Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council, called it a “timely reminder of how critical world-class digital infrastructure is to our city’s future,” and said the 5G-ready small cells would enable “smart city applications, from intelligent transport to healthcare innovation.”

The evolution from towerco to infrastructure enabler has been underway for some time, with European players like Cellnex and TOTEM exploring in-building systems, small cells and fibre. But Cornerstone’s deployment represents one of the clearest examples yet of how neutral host models can shift the dynamics in the UK market, particularly where densification is constrained by planning and aesthetics.

In a sector still heavily shaped by macro towers, this partnership shows how urban infrastructure can be reimagined to deliver shared digital connectivity — and perhaps points to the next phase of towerco evolution.