Vodafone has become the second UK mobile operator to switch on its 5G network, extending next-generation mobile connectivity further across the country.
The new 5G network is available in seven cities: London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool. It comes about a month after EE launched the UK’s first 5G service in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester.
5G is faster and more reliable than existing 4G networks, with greater capacity and speeds up to 100 times faster. It’s expected to support new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, driverless cars, remote surgery and sophisticated real-time drone management.
To encourage businesses to adopt 5G, Vodafone is offering monthly plans that give business customers access to unlimited data and 5G at the same price as 4G.
Recent research by Vodafone found that 60% of start-ups believe 5G will help them compete against more established rivals. A similar proportion (58%) expect 5G to enhance their competitiveness within two years, and 56% foresee it changing the way they operate their business.
Vodafone will switch on its 5G network in another 12 towns and cities later this year: Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Guildford, Newbury, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Reading, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington and Wolverhampton.
The operator also said that it will be the first UK provider to offer 5G roaming in four European countries over the summer.
Anne Sheehan, Business Director of Vodafone UK, said: “5G is a game-changer for the economy and UK businesses. We are committed to helping our customers take advantage of this technology by making it widely available in the UK and through roaming. We want to help UK businesses become global leaders and 5G will play an important role in achieving that aim.”
Research findings in our Next-generation connectivity report found that almost nine in ten respondents (87%) regard 5G specifically as being “strategically important” to their business over the next five years. Read about how businesses are preparing for 5G by downloading your free copy of our Next-generation connectivity report.
