Vodafone UK completed the first test of 3.4 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum for 5G across an existing live network between Manchester and the company’s headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire.
The test used Massive MIMO combined with 3.4 GHz spectrum running over the core 4G network. Vodafone’s site in Manchester was its contact centre, which houses around 1,000 customer service employees
The company described the test as a major milestone in UK telecommunications, as it is the first time that the 3.4 Gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency allocated for 5G has been used in the UK, and noted that is was carried out just a week after Vodafone secured the largest slice of 5G spectrum in Ofcom’s auction.
Vodafone UK Chief Executive Nick Jeffery said: “5G will improve the quality of our lives and transform how we work. This next generation technology will enable medical services that could save lives, from remote surgery to remote care for the elderly. It will enhance industrial applications, from automated systems to robotics, helping manufacturers across the UK boost their productivity. And it will enable families to share their experiences with loved ones wherever they are, thanks to innovations like augmented reality.”
UK completes spectrum auction – EE and Vodafone gain 5G bands
Ofcom, the official telecoms regulator in the U.K., completed the auction of 190 MHz of spectrum across two frequency bands: 40 MHz in the 2.3 GHz band, which will be used to increase 4G mobile broadband capacity; and 150 MHz in 3.4GHz, which has been earmarked for 5G.
Here are the results:
EE won 40 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £302,592,000.
Hutchison 3G UK won 20 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £151,296,000.
Telefónica UK won all 40 MHz of 2.3 GHz spectrum available, at a cost of £205,896,000; and 40 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £317,720,000.
Vodafone won 50 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £378,240,000.
Airspan Spectrum Holdings, which would have been a new entrant to the UK mobile market, failed to win spectrum in either band.
The total value of the winning bids amounts to £1,355,744,000.
