Re: And then...
But I thought the hard part of installing base stations was getting the site, planning permission, power and backhaul sorted out? And if the backhaul is microwave then capacity shouldn't be an issue for a low-usage cell, and if the backhaul is fiber then capacity shouldn't be an issue at all. So I'd expect the cost difference to be very small between installing a normal EE 4G-only cell site versus a ESN-only cell site.
Given that, why wouldn't EE install normal cell sites everywhere they're rolling out ESN? It looks to me like EE is being paid to expand their coverage significantly, and if I were them I'd be taking advantage of it.
(If you wanted to support older phones that only do 2G or 3G, then that would likely cost a little more due to needing extra radios and aerials, and possibly planning permission for the extra aerials, so the improved coverage may only be for modern 4G smartphones).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
