National 5G Standalone could save UK police 11 million hours a year

Vodafone UK has concluded that a 5G Standalone (SA) network across the UK could allow officers to make one more emergency call a day.

The Labour administration’s mission to Take Back Our Streets emphasises rebuilding safety across Britain by increasing police numbers and reinforcing frontline policing, ensuring a stronger presence in communities across the country. A recent study from Ipsos showed that increasing uniformed police visibility on streets is the number one priority for UK adults when it comes to improving the police service.

Vodafone said that while the strain on public services cannot be fixed overnight, technology can play a transformative role in freeing-up officers from time-intensive day-to-day tasks, which could allow them to return to front-line engagements more quickly.

The operator’s research was carried out by WPI Strategy, and among the topline findings revealed was that 5G SA could significantly improve the efficiency of various tasks that police officers undertake each day – such as communication and case administration – saving a total of 11 million hours per year, or around seven working days per officer annually. This, said Vodafone, could be comparable to freeing-up 5,400 full-time police officers for on-the-ground operations and community engagement.

Offering a potential use case, Vodafone suggested that 5G-enhanced live streaming between police stations and court rooms through a secure, reliable network could mean officers avoid commuting unnecessarily to and from court. Vodafone added that its Live Link service, which already sees use with officers on the beat, could be rolled out more effectively across the police service if powered by a nationwide 5G network. This could make available valuable time and resources for direct community engagement.

The study calculates that these efficiencies could save an average police officer around seven days per year, or 17 minutes per day – extra time that could be redirected towards swift emergency response deployment. It added that at a community level, that would be the equivalent of an extra eight police officers per 100,000 people – freeing up the equivalent hours of 44 full-time officers for a city like Manchester, or 13 for smaller towns like Slough.

In addition to operational efficiencies, Vodafone said 5G-enabled technology could help the police securely capture and transmit witness and victim statements on the scene. Statements taken on a phone or laptop could be uploaded instantly to the system, securely shared with the control room, and stored as evidence for investigations or court use. This enables immediate access to evidence for case reviews, while protecting sensitive information through enhanced network security – reducing the need for victims and vulnerable witnesses to repeatedly recount their experiences.

Vodafone UK chief network officer Andrea Donà said: “We know our emergency services are facing enormous challenges, and the government is making great strides to support them to Take Back Our Streets – specifically by allocating funding to increase frontline policing across the country.

“A nationwide 5G Standalone network, paired with greater use of technology in the police service, could help deliver this mission – substantially reducing time pressures and driving efficiencies to get our officers back in the heart of their community,” he said.

Vodafone revealed it was already working with West Midlands Police on technology-based efficiency programmes. “With a force of over 12,000 officers and staff, it is important that we are agile and able to flex our approach to serve the public where and when they need us,” said West Midlands Police assistant chief constable Matt Welsted. “A 5G Standalone network will only further enhance our digital transformation and keep our officers and staff better connected in the community.

“West Midlands Police are dedicated to delivering outstanding service to our communities, and as we modernise, innovate and look to keep up with changing public needs, mobile connectivity has an ever-increasing part to play.” he added. “Our partnership with Vodafone is meeting this challenge, and helping us work in new ways to meet public expectations and remain efficient.”