- VodafoneThree claims to have eliminated 16,500 km2 of ‘no spots’ across the UK
- It has committed to achieving 99% autonomous population coverage in 5G by 2030.
- New research appears to show improvement in mobile signal improvement across the UK
VodafoneThree has revealed further progress in its bid to improve mobile coverage across the UK.
The company claims to have eliminated 16,500 km2 of ‘not spots’ – areas previously lacking adequate mobile coverage – as part of its efforts to cover the whole of the UK.
VodafoneThree has promised to achieve 5G standalone population coverage of 99% by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034, pledging £11 billion to achieve this target.
Economic benefits
VodafoneThree says the increase in coverage has been achieved through the deployment of Multi Operator Core Network (MOCN) technology to more than 8,000 locations across the country, meaning all Vodafone and Three customers can now connect to the best coverage available at no extra cost.
Alongside this news, the company also revealed new research outlining the benefits that such improved mobile connectivity can bring to UK businesses and the national economy as a whole.
Overall, the study claims that improved mobile connectivity could generate an annual boost of £6.6 billion to the UK economy after 10 years – and tens of thousands of new businesses could be created.
Surveying 2,000 people, including existing and future business owners, VodafoneThree found that poor mobile signals are a significant barrier for UK small businesses, with almost two thirds (62%) of would-be founders saying unreliable connectivity had put them off starting a business locally.
A third (33%) said they thought a better signal would make their area more attractive to businesses, and 26% said it would directly increase their willingness to start a business in their area.
“When connectivity improves, entrepreneurship follows,” said Nick Gliddon, chief commercial officer of VodafoneThree.. “Founders scale quickly and the infrastructure around them needs to keep pace. Strong, reliable connectivity helps start-ups win customers, build their reputations and grow steadily. We are focused on building the network that UK businesses can rely on.”
“Access to high-quality, reliable mobile connectivity is essential for businesses and drives growth,” added Telecommunications Minister Liz Lloyd. “The investment VodafoneThree has made following their merger, together with their efforts to remove spots, will help boost coverage across the UK and support our ambition for all populated areas to have access to better standalone 5G by 2030.”
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