A firm of engineers is dialling up new national telecoms work, supporting the UK’s rollout of next generation mobile phone technology.
RWO Associates, which is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, has won the undisclosed work to provide specialist structural engineering services, which will involve the design and installation of masts to support new high tech 5G transmitters.
These are being designed for installation at strategic sites across the UK over the next 12 months as new 5G mobile phone services come on stream.
The move will see the company working for Cell:cm, a Newcastle based specialist in land and site management surveying services for telecom industries.
The government is planning to speed up the roll out of 5G networks and improve mobile coverage across the UK, which will require a new generation of transmitter masts to replace the existing 4G ones, providing internet speeds several times faster than currently available.
The work for RWO Associates will involve reviewing proposed installation sites and providing specialist structural advice and services around positioning heavy equipment on masts located on the outside of buildings.
Work on the first phase of 10 sites, which includes several installations in Glasgow, is currently underway and will feature specialist working-at-height and radio frequency training for the engineering team.
Eventually, RWO is expected to be involved in supporting more than 300 5G sites across the UK as the new network goes live over the next two years.
The contract is the latest success for RWO, which currently employs 17 people and is targeting the £1.5m turnover target in 2020 as it continues to invest in resources to support growth and customer services.
Two engineering roles are expected to be created in the structures team as work on the 5G mobile phone mast rollout programme ramps-up, in addition to an already strong orderbook in other core sectors.
RWO’s director Martin Heddon, said: “This is a high-profile contract win for a north east company, reflecting the skills and expertise available in the region to support national multi-million pound infrastructure projects.
“It takes RWO into a new area of opportunity and we expect to see further work in the coming years in a growth sector.”
Steven Knight, head of building services at Cell:CM said: “We will be working in close partnership with the RWO team on this current project. Martin and his team have the skills and experience to deliver the highest standards of service and quality.”
RWO Associates specialises in a range of work including flood risk assessments, residential, commercial, industrial and leisure structural engineering. Civil engineering services cover road design, drainage, external works and SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage). The company operates from modern offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, and Leeds, Yorkshire. More at https://rwo.group/
