Vodafone UK Preps 5G Standalone Rollout for Rural Wales

Vodafone has today confirmed their commitment to deploy 5G Standalone (5G SA / mobile broadband) technology to rural Wales as part of its proposed merger with Three UK, while adding that the merger “could” also result in 4G being delivered to more than 93% of the Welsh landmass by 2027, which would then lead to an upgrade to 5G by 2034.

Most existing 5G networks in the UK are Non-Standalone (NSA) based, which in simple terms means they partly rely on older 4G infrastructure. By comparison, 5GSA reflects a pure end-to-end 5G network that can also deliver improvements such as ultra-low latency times (fast), better mobile broadband upload speeds, network slicing capabilities, better support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security.

Last year Vodafone became the first UK operator to launch a 5GSA network with their new “5G Ultra” package for consumers (here), although its coverage was initially limited to parts of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with more being added. But in February 2024 they were joined by O2 (VMO2), which has initially gone live in parts of 14 cities and their service comes at “no extra” cost to customers (here).

However, Vodafone, as part of their proposed mega-merger with Three UK (here), have pledged to reach more than 99% of the UK’s “population” with their 5GSA network by 2034 and to push fixed wireless access (home broadband) to 82% of households by 2030.

Naturally, this will include Wales, although the press release doesn’t appear to clarify a specific target. Both 5G and 5G SA are currently already available in some areas across Wales, including Cardiff, as well as parts of both Newport and Swansea. The commitment follows research showing that 50% of premises in Wales’ rural constituencies are currently 5G not-spots.

Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

“We know that access to connectivity is important for everyone, but this research reveals the extent to which rural Wales is experiencing digital exclusion, showing exactly why we need to accelerate the roll out of 5G infrastructure. Through our proposed merger with Three UK, we would be able to help close the rural digital divide in Wales, helping these communities to take advantage of 5G and enjoy the same benefits it brings to their urban neighbours.”

All of this is clearly designed to drum up more support for their merger, while also supporting the Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (WIS), which last year set out an ambition for “all populated areas to be covered by ‘standalone’ 5G (5G-plus) by 2030” (here). But it’s worth noting that Vodafone’s 5GSA targets aren’t legally binding.