4G SIM NewsVodafone has ramped up spending on its network to almost £1 billion, as it aims to become a dominant force in the 4G arena.
The Vodafone Group was the resounding winner of the 4G auction earlier this year, after spending £800 million on the 4G spectrum – far more than any of the other carriers.
While EE has the first move advantage, Vodafone, which will begin shipping 4G sims later this year, has promised an unparallelled network The increase in spending suggests that the company is firmly placing all of its eggs in the 4G basket.
According to the scotsman.com, Vodafone spending on network upgrades equates to around £2.5 million pounds per day – a 50 per cent year-on-year rise.
The telecoms giant is also investing on the integration of its fixed line network, which was acquired through Cable & Wireless Worldwide last year, reports marketingmagazine.co.uk.
Vodafone hopes to make the network available to 98 per cent of the UK population by 2015. Chief executive of Vodafone UK, Guy Laurence, said: “We’re bringing together the best of mobile and fixed line communication is to help our business customers make their communications work for them.”
“For consumers, it is another important step towards the arrival of our ultrafast 4G service later this year,” he said, adding that the company was investing in vital infrastructure that would support economic growth.
Vodafone has recently announced that it will delay the launch of its 4G network in order to wait for the new iPhone, expected to arrive on the back end of summer.