Press Release | 03 Mar 2022

Vodafone installs 4G on phone boxes across four UK towns and cities

The retrofitted phone boxes bolster 4G mobile coverage on busy urban streets.

Vodafone is using clever technology on phone boxes across the country to ensure customers and businesses can keep enjoying a great 4G mobile connection. Phone boxes in locations across Bournemouth, London, Reading and Winchester have been kitted out with miniature 4G technology units – adding extra mobile coverage and capacity in the area, without adding clutter to the high street.

As the country comes out of lockdown and returns to work, the demand for data on the move is expected to grow again. As a result, nine phone boxes located in Bournemouth, London, Reading and Winchester have had technology fitted on their roofs which give a Vodafone 4G signal with a 200-metre coverage radius. This will mean more customers can use their mobile devices to stream HD videos, download maps and access websites within seconds.

The activity is part of Vodafone’s latest network modernisation programme to improve both 4G and 5G for UK customers. The programme will see the retirement of the old Vodafone 3G network in 2023, with coverage replaced by strengthened 4G and 5G services, so customers can access a more reliable connection in more parts of the country.

Vodafone UK announces 3G retirement in 2023 with commitment to deliver most reliable network and keep customers connected

4G and 5G to get coverage and speed boost from repurposing of 3G spectrum, helping Vodafone to provide the UK’s most reliable network experience.

Andrea Dona, Network & Development Director at Vodafone UK, said: “Our network has never been busier. Customers are connecting more than ever when they’re out and about, using maps, keeping up with work on the go, and using social media.

“Using these phone boxes to house mini 4G technology means we can keep up with demand and make the most out of existing structures on our streets. Adding more 4G coverage is important to us and our customers as we prepare to switch off old 3G technology next year.”

Vodafone helps customers surf the internet in Cornwall

Vodafone installs fast 4G in phone boxes on Polzeath and Sennen Cove beachfronts Visitors to the popular seaside resorts of Polzeath and Sennen Cove in Cornwall this Easter can now receive fast mobile Internet and great voice reception along the beach after Vodafone installed the latest 4G technology in beachfront phone boxes. Mobile coverage can … Continued

Similar technology has been introduced in phone boxes in Brighton, Edgware, Edinburgh, Guildford, Harrow, Oxford and two busy beaches on the Cornish coast: Polzeath and Sennen Cove.

– ends –

Notes for editors

For more detail on our coverage in your area visit the Network Status Checker.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on Twitter and signing up for News Centre website notifications.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 693 693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Twitter: @VodafoneUKNews

Website: https://vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/

Vodafone Limited

Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN

Registered in England No: 1471587