- VodafoneThree says it has removed 16,500 km2 of ‘no points’ across the UK
- Committed to achieving 99% 5G standalone population coverage by 2030.
- New research appears to show a boost in mobile signal improvement across the UK
VodafoneThree has revealed new developments in its bid to improve mobile coverage across the UK.
The company says it has removed 16,500 km2 of “non-spots” (areas that previously lacked adequate mobile coverage) as part of its efforts to cover the entire UK.
VodafoneThree has pledged to achieve 5G standalone population coverage of 99% by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034, pledging £11 billion to reach this target.
Economic benefits
VodafoneThree says the increase in coverage has been achieved by rolling out ‘Multi Operator Core Network’ (MOCN) technology to more than 8,000 sites across the country, meaning all Vodafone and Three customers can now connect to the best coverage available at no additional cost.
In addition to the news, the company also revealed new research outlining the benefits that improved mobile connectivity can bring to UK businesses and the wider national economy.
Overall, the study claims that improving mobile connectivity could provide a £6.6 billion annual boost to the UK economy after 10 years, and tens of thousands of new businesses could be created.
Surveying 2,000 people, including existing and aspiring business owners, VodafoneThree found that poor mobile signals are a major barrier for UK small businesses, with almost two-thirds (62%) of potential founders saying unreliable connectivity had deterred them from starting a business locally.
A third (33%) said they believed better signal would make their area more attractive for business projects, and 26% said it would directly improve their willingness to set up a business in their local area.
“When connectivity improves, entrepreneurship emerges,” said Nick Gliddon, chief commercial officer at VodafoneThree.. “Founders move fast and the infrastructure around them needs to keep up. Strong, reliable connectivity helps startups win customers, build reputations and grow steadily. We’re focused on building the network UK businesses can count on.”
“Access to high-quality, reliable mobile connectivity is essential for businesses and driving growth,” added Telecommunications Minister Liz Lloyd. “The investment that VodafoneThree has committed as a result of their merger, together with their efforts to remove hotspots, will help boost coverage across the UK and support our ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.”
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
