Claims first to offer 5G Standalone in the UK; starting in London, Manchester, Glasgow (pictured), Cardiff and other locations
Vodafone says it is the first to launch 5G Standalone in the UK, which it refers to as 5G Ultra. The operator claims this will bring 5G coverage to another million people, improve phone battery life (by 25%), and provide more reliable connections in busy locations, as well as faster 5G.
Big claims enterprise-wise
First though let’s look at Vodafone’s predictions for 5G SA, sorry Ultra, and the enterprise market. Vodafone claims that 5G could save the NHS £1.25 billion a year by 2025. That will be interesting to monitor, particularly as this is expected to come about from applications like remote, assisted surgery and drone delivery of medicine and medical assets.
Further, 5G-enabled technology in manufacturing, transport and agriculture could reduce the UK’s overall emissions by 4% a year and manufacturing could increase Gross Value Added (GVA) across the UK by £3.6 billion a year in 2025 and £6.3 billion a year in 2030.
This could be achieved through the adoption of 5G Standalone private mobile networks to offer better service, greater flexibility and improved security.
It feels a bit like being in a 2016 time warp without the self-driving cars. It’s also worth noting that Finland is ahead of the rest of Europe with 5G but is still finding it tough to tap into new revenue streams.
Consumer-side
5G Ultra will be available on Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 devices, with more to follow in July as more devices become 5G Ultra-compatible.
The Wimbledon [tennis] Championships will be one of the first major events at which customers can benefit from the new 5G Standalone connectivity. Vodafone used 5G Standalone-based network slicing for ITN’s TV coverage of Charles III’s coronation in May.
Vodafone says it is the first company in the UK to offer customers a 5G Standalone network, which unlike previous 5G deployments does not rely on 4G.
Customers with a compatible handset who signed up to a Pay Monthly contract after 24 February will have 5G Ultra added to their plan automatically at no extra cost, as will all new and upgrading customers from now on.
A small number of people are already receiving 5G Ultra. Eligible customers will be added in a phased approach over summer 2023.
Vodafone 5G Ultra is available in several locations across the UK, including London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with more cities to come.
Masts in the Wimbledon area have been upgraded to deliver the new service, including ones which provide coverage to the tennis courts and the surrounding outdoor fan zones.
The 5G Ultra service will also be available for Small Office and Home Office (SOHO) business customers.
Strong urge to merge
Vodafone says that is its proposed merger with Three UK is given approval, the company would gain the scale to deliver 5G Standalone to more than 99% of the UK’s populated areas by 2034, through £11 billion investment in the network over the next decade.
Nick Gliddon, Vodafone’s UK Business Director, said, “We’re excited about what the future holds for our customers. 5G Standalone is a truly transformational technology that can have an impact on industry and businesses, especially when blended with IoT and cloud.”