4G SIM NewsVodafone has announced that it will be expanding its 4G network to provide greater coverage in the south of England this summer. This is part of a £1 billion investment in the Vodafone network, and a general expansion of 4G availability across the UK.
Vodafone is planning to launch 4G in five of the biggest towns and cities in southern England over the coming months. The chosen locations are Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Reading and Southampton. Vodafone believes that this will provide 4G access to almost a million people in the south, giving them more opportunities to stream music and video, stay in touch with friends and family, and generally access the mobile internet.
Over the past few months the Vodafone 4G network has expanded to include 239 cities, towns, and districts with a population over 10,000. It has gone live in 119 locations and has begun the process of rolling out 4G in the other 120. The 4G network also includes thousands of smaller communities across the country with a population under 10,000. Vodafone has committed to providing 3G or 4G coverage to 98% of the UK population over the coming years.
Vodafone customers in the south will have access to either Spotify Premium, giving them access to millions of tracks from the music streaming service, or Sky Sports Mobile which will allow them to watch live sporting events from any location. Other benefits could include the Vodafone Data Test Drive, which allows users to test out unlimited UK data for three months when they sign up to a 24 month plan or a 12 month 4G sim-only deal. Customers may also receive increased data allowances, and unlimited calls and texts, depending on the chosen price plan.
Vodafone to Provide 4G for Southern Businesses
Businesses in the south will also benefit from this expansion of Vodafone’s 4G network. The network believes that the increased coverage will help in excess of 35,000 businesses to improve service levels and increase flexible working practises. 4G will allow businesses to:
- Respond more quickly to the needs of their customers improving service levels
- Introduce remote working to reduce overheads and increase productivity
According to a Vodafone survey 86% of businesses believe that access to 4G could increase their productivity by providing employees with a genuine in-office experience when they are working from home or travelling for business. 4G Red Business plans currently include an extra 1GB data per month for the length of the contract, and a free data sharing sim to increase flexibility.
According to Fergal Kelly, CTO, Vodafone UK, “Mobile connectivity plays a vital role in keeping communities in touch and helping to support the local economy. Our network improvements will ensure thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of consumers in the south of England will have a better opportunity to take part in the growing smartphone revolution, whether they are at work, at home or on holiday.”
The expansion of the Vodafone network will provide competition to EE who already provides 4G coverage in Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Reading and Southampton.