Vodafone has selected Alcatel-Lucent as a supplier of reference for LTE metro cells with integrated Wi-Fi capability as part of the group\'s Project Spring investment program, according to Telecompaper.com on July 8, 2014. As a supplier of reference, Alcatel-Lucent can bid on business in all Vodafone countries with its Metro Cell Outdoor small cell products. Vodafone will be able to use Alcatel-Lucent\'s small cell technology to create a mesh network with existing macro cells to improve mobile broadband coverage in urban areas. This award consolidates the long-term small cells partnership between Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent, initiated years ago through the deployment of Alcatel-Lucent residential and enterprise small cells in multiple properties for Vodafone, followed more recently by Alcatel-Lucent´s latest generation of small cells trial in the Netherlands.