OpenAccess West Sussex

Mobile coverage supports how people live, work and access services. Operators often struggle to access sites and manage agreements and approvals. OpenAccess simplifies this with a coordinated, county-wide approach.

In practice, this includes: 

• access to public buildings, land and street assets 
• simpler, more consistent agreements 
• better coordination of planning and highways processes 

The council is also investing in ready-to-use infrastructure. In some locations, it has installed street columns with power and fibre connections, which makes it quicker to install equipment.

This approach is already helping unlock investment in places like Worthing and Chichester, supporting faster rollout of 4G and 5G services using public sector assets.

OpenAccess also supports wider digital infrastructure.

The council has developed over 100km of publicly owned duct and fibre, connecting key sites across West Sussex and linking to the Brighton Digital Exchange.

This helps businesses grow, supports new development and enables more connected public services. 

Better connectivity supports local businesses, improves access to services and enables smarter, more connected places. By working at a county scale, OpenAccess West Sussex is helping create the conditions for long‑term digital investment.

Read our digital strategy to find out more.