Vodafone extends 5G network across UK

Vodafone has switched on its 5G network in 12 more locations across the UK, giving consumers, businesses and their employees faster mobile data and more reliable mobile coverage.

The Vodafone 5G network is now available for residents up and down the country, and the latest locations with access to the Vodafone 5G network are: Coventry, Dursley, Golborne, Keynsham, Llantwit Major, Lydney, Redditch, Rickmansworth, South Lackenby, Thornbury, Watford and Wigan.

Vodafone 5G will play a large part in the future of the UK’s economy and businesses, said the company. With more people than ever working away from the office, 5G provides invaluable flexibility, so that those participating in video-conference calls can do so without disruption.

5G also opens the door to smart wireless factories for UK manufacturers, which can dramatically improve efficiency by using private 5G networks, said Vodafone. The operator suggested that in the future, the faster response times of 5G could enable smart car parking, remote health services and even enable ambulances to communicate with community infrastructure, such as traffic lights.

This should mean homes, businesses, transport links and healthcare will all be able to operate in a greener, safer and smarter way, it said.

“The arrival of 5G gives our customers some of the fastest mobile data speeds in the UK, and a mobile network they can rely on,” said Andrea Dona, Vodafone’s chief network officer in the UK. “It will open up all sorts of possibilities for our consumer customers, as well as local businesses and their employees, supporting the local economy and helping to deliver a greener, more prosperous and digitally connected region. We are investing in our network across the UK and look forward to seeing how that investment will benefit local people and businesses.”

The activity is part of Vodafone’s network modernisation programme to improve the 4G and 5G experience for all its customers. The programme will see Vodafone retiring its 3G network in 2023 and replacing coverage with strengthened 4G and 5G services, so customers across more of the country can access more reliable connectivity through the Vodafone network.

Already this year, Vodafone UK has announced that it is teaming with Samsung Networks Europe to switch on the country’s first Open RAN site to carry live 5G traffic, marking a milestone in the commercial deployment of Open RAN network architectures in Europe, with more than 2,500 additional sites to follow. It also said it was tapping Oracle for a cloud-native network policy solution to help accelerate new 5G services and get 5G offerings into the hands of customers more quickly.

This was followed by news that Vodafone was teaming with Ericsson to create the UK’s first on-demand 5G network slice, with trials showing how businesses can deploy dedicated on-demand and secure end-to-end connectivity, and that it was heading a consortium to develop use cases for the world’s first 5G marine-focused testbed in the city of Plymouth.