The upcoming trials, between October and December 2018, will ensure Vodafone is ready for the commercial launch of full 5G, which is expected to arrive early in 2020 to coincide with a wide choice of compatible phones and devices. The trials are part of a wider plan called Gigabit UK, which aims to provide everyone in the UK with speeds of one gigabit per second or more, no matter where they are.
Glasgow is a natural fit for exploring the future of 5G, given the work by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) on the network. The SELFNET project, led by UWS researchers, promises to deliver dramatic improvements to quality of user experience, reliability and security – unlocking a wealth of new possibilities like remote surgery, driverless cars and smooth mobile HD streaming.
Nick Jeffery, Vodafone UK chief executive, said: “We want to make 5G and new fibre broadband services available to consumers and business throughout the UK, delivering a Gigabit society for all. We will also be bringing ultra-fast 4G to several hundred sites in hard to reach rural areas this year, building on our position as the network that offers the best voice coverage in the UK.”
Links
University of the West of Scotland
Vodafone 5G announcement