The battle to carry the expected surge in wireless data in the UK stepped up a notch on Monday when Alcatel Lucent signed a deal with Macropolitan, a start-up company backed by property tycoon Vincent Tchenguiz, to offer telecom operators an outsourced urban WiMax network.

Macropolitan, founded by Ryan Jarvis, previously head of BT’s wireless broadband division, and Richard Greco, former chief executive of Bulldog, manages and leases rooftop space to telecoms operators looking to install communications equipment in urban areas.