Press Release | 08 Sep 2015

VODAFONE ANNOUNCES MULTI MILLION POUND NETWORK INVESTMENT ACROSS PORTSMOUTH

Vodafone UK has announced a major network investment across Portsmouth, bringing stronger indoor and outdoor coverage and mobile internet services across its 3G and 4G networks. The multi-million pound investment across the town will extend 3G and 4G mobile coverage to more than 98% of Portsmouth’s population.
As a consequence of the network improvements already undertaken by Vodafone over the last year, mobile data traffic in Portsmouth has already rocketed. Customers in the town on average are now using around one and a half terabytes of data every day. That’s equivalent to streaming the film adaptation of Les Misérables, 1,500 times*- the opening scene of which features the famous Portsmouth Historical Dockyard.

The upgrade forms part of Vodafone’s approximate £1 billion nationwide network and service investment this year with a similar amount having been invested in 2014. This investment is already benefiting customers in Portsmouth, a fact endorsed by results from independent technology consultancy LCC, which show that Vodafone has unbeatable indoor and outdoor 4G coverage in the town**. In light of this, 4G data usage in Portsmouth is now increasing month on month.

In addition, the recent strengthening of our 3G network across the city has already provided greater coverage, High Definition (HD) Voice technology for voice calls and faster mobile internet services to more consumers and businesses. A snapshot of Vodafone in Portsmouth:

  • Vodafone will have upgraded 100% of its sites across the town by the end of the investment, which involves implementing a 4G overlay system. This creates better indoor and outdoor coverage for both voice and data, whilst ensuring that concentrated areas of customers have the highest possible network capacity to cope with increased demand.
  • The average data traffic a week in Portsmouth is equal to browsing the internet for 420,000 hours*- that’s equivalent to surfing the web for nearly fifty years.
  • Total data usage in Portsmouth increased 13% on the day of The Great South Run last October.
  • In addition, the commitment to investment in the area stretches to Vodafone stores with the Portsmouth store, located in Commercial Road, newly refitted last year.

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