Brian Morrison

BT unveils 5G Standalone network slicing deployment first in Belfast

UK’s leading telco BT announced the first real-world deployment of 5G Standalone network slicing capabilities in a slicing trial that brought payments to Belfast Christmas Market in December 2024

In 2019, in what it said was a UK first for mobile, leading UK telco BT enabled 5G applications for Belfast Harbour to deploy in its vision to create a smart port. Now, the city’s Christmas Market has been revealed as the site of the company’s first real-world deployment of 5G Standalone network slicing capabilities over the EE mobile network, launched to support faster and more resilient mobile payments.

In September 2024, EE launched 5G standalone (5G SA) mobile networks in 15 cities across the UK, and revealed plans to introduce Wi-Fi 7-based customer equipment for fixed broadband. For what was a two-week trial at Belfast’s Christmas Market, a dedicated slice of the EE 5G network was partitioned for use in the renowned Lavery’s Beer Tent to support its eight mobile payment terminals, enabling card and mobile payments for thousands of customers.

Belfast’s Christmas Market, which takes place at Belfast City Hall, sees up to 1.2 million visitors each year, with the Lavery’s beer tent proving among the most popular attractions. As Belfast’s oldest family-owned pub, Lavery’s has been at the heart of the city’s social life for more than 100 years, and the Christmas Market has been one of the most important dates in its diary for two decades. 

The market had access to a partitioned slice from EE’s public network and live 5G Standalone core, and the trial was said to have successfully demonstrated the capability of network slicing to bypass congestion in busy locations and keep businesses connected through dedicated quality of service. The 5G SA deployment follows the availability of 5G standalone connectivity for BT’s small business customers as part of the company’s investment in the networks of the future. 

Commenting on what the network delivered, Lavery director Bernard Lavery said: “With this being the 20th year of our festive beer tent, Lavery’s is as synonymous with Belfast Christmas Market as it is with the city itself. In that time, the need to enable fast and reliable mobile payments has only grown thanks to the growing trend towards cashless.

“BT Group’s network slicing capability therefore gives us so much peace of mind, not only in enabling transactions to be completed faster than ever, but also in delivering the dedicated mobile capacity needed to keep our customers happy and queues moving even at the busiest times.”

Councillor Ryan Murphy, chair of Belfast City Council’s strategic, policy and resources committee, added: “Having access to world-class advanced wireless connectivity is essential for our local businesses. It’s brilliant to see Belfast benefit from BT Group’s first ever real-world deployment of network slicing, helping local business Lavery’s to enhance its operations and provide an even better customer experience at the very popular Belfast Christmas Market.”

Paul Murnaghan, BT Group’s Northern Ireland director, added: “Businesses increasingly rely on technology that’s able to cope with the demands of the ever-pervasive digital world, securely. We have all visited a retailer and had the awkward ‘wait while we check’ to see if a payment has been completed correctly.

“Network slicing helps tackle this problem by enabling consistently fast and smooth connectivity, critically giving certainty to both traders and customers even when the network is busy in specific locations like Belfast Christmas Market.”

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