Vodafone UK has launched the first live Standalone 5G network in the UK at Coventry University. The Standalone 5G network will be used to trial virtual reality learning to support training for student nurses and allied health professionals.
Ericsson partnered with Qualcomm, MediaTek and OPPO to provide the network to Vodafone.
Ericsson 5G Radio Dot small cells have also been installed to provide speedy and high-capacity indoor coverage in the university’s Disruptive Media Learning Lab and National Transport Design Centre.
Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, says: “Standalone networks are central to the promise of 5G to reimagine society, the economy and industries. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in partnership with Vodafone. This launch is another example of Ericsson’s 5G technology leadership.”
Professor John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor, says: “This will help us continue to change and enhance the way students learn. Being the first university in the UK to have this next phase of 5G technology is the first step on our journey to creating a 5G campus.”
Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone UK, says: “5G today is all about capacity and increased speeds. It’s giving people the best mobile experience ever, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg of what 5G can do.”
Vodafone’s announcement of the 5G Standalone network comes one year to the day after it launched commercial 5G in the UK.
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