Rollout of standalone 5G to unlock £3bn to UK economy, says Vodafone
Written by Finbarr Toesland Thu 3 Oct 2024
New research commissioned by telecoms firm, Vodafone, showed introducing standalone 5G connectivity to road and rail travel in the UK will improve the economy by £3 billion ($3.9 billion).
The modelling from WPI Strategy found £1 billion ($1.3 billion) would be added through higher productivity levels from remote train working and £2 billion ($2.6 billion) from fuel saving from road users.
“The national rollout of a 5G Standalone network has the potential to transform connectivity on the UK’s roads and railways. Across road and rail alone, it could unlock £3 billion ($3.9 billion) a year for the UK through boosted productivity and by saving fuel costs through smoother journeys,” said Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK.
The launch of this research has arrived as Vodafone is working to increase support for its proposed merger with Three UK. According to Vodafone, if the merger goes ahead, it will provide a £11 billion ($14.4 billion) investment to offer standalone 5G connectivity to 95% of the population by 2030, reaching 99% population coverage by 2034.
Train delays could be reduced, saving operators £10 million ($13.1 billion) in delay repayments, with improved 5G connectivity on UK roads leading to productivity savings of £140 million ($18.6 million), according to the data from Vodafone. A total of 26 million hours of delays for train users is also forecast if 5G standalone connectivity is achieved by allowing the merger of Vodafone and Three UK.
Close to two-thirds (60%) of UK adults say bad mobile internet on trains has stopped them from being productive on their journeys.
At the moment, most 5G networks are using 4G infrastructure, with the update to standalone 5G enabling faster mobile upload speeds, lower latency and better security. Limited areas of UK cities already have access to 5G standalone technology, but the merger would offer this to most of the population.
In June 2023, Vodafone research found more than half of UK adults see 5G as having the potential to greatly enhance their everyday lives more so than artificial intelligence (AI).
Written by Finbarr Toesland Thu 3 Oct 2024