Manufacturing, healthcare and education poised for a 5G boost
A new report commissioned by Vodafone U.K. has found that upgrading to 5G could add as much as £158 billion ($194 billion) to the national economy over the next decade.
Vodafone also noted that investment in 5G could lead to the creation of new jobs and business opportunities, as well as improve the provision of public services across the country.
The report, dubbed “Levelling up: How 5G Can Boost Productivity across the U.K.,” authored by WPI Economics, also calls on the UK Government to create the policy, procurement and investment environment to support faster 5G rollout.
Nick Jeffery, Vodafone UK CEO, said: “5G will play a vital role as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is crucial to recognize the role that fast and reliable connectivity will play in unlocking the digital potential that exists in every nation and region across the UK. 5G will provide new and exciting opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes and across all sectors.”
Matt Warman, digital infrastructure minister, said: “We are determined to deliver the benefits of faster and secure 5G technology for homes and businesses across the U.K.
“Our ongoing work to remove the barriers to industry rollout has meant 5G networks have already been switched on in more than 70 towns and cities. We are also investing £200m in 5G trials to speed up deployment and boost the development of new applications so we can seize the social and economic opportunities of this revolutionary technology.”
The report highlights that 5G private networks will enable manufacturers to increase efficiency, helping to revive manufacturing across the U.K. 5G will be essential to allowing secure and reliable remote access to public services, including patients accessing healthcare and pupils accessing education.
It calculated the cumulative economic benefits to U.K. output stand at more than £38 billion in the five years to 2025, and at more than €120 billion from then to 2030.
In the U.K., Vodafone’s 5G services are available in 44 locations including London, Birmingham, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool.
U.K.-based Vodafone Group has already launched 5G services in 97 cities across eight European markets.
Vodafone launched Spain’s first commercial 5G network in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Vitoria, San Sebastian, La Coruna, Vigo, Gijon, Pamplona, Logrono and Santander in June 2019.
In Germany, Vodafone’s 5G service is already live in 43 cities and towns including Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Dortmund, Munich, Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Darmstadt, Leipzig, and Frankfurt.
In Italy, the technology is available in Milan, Turin, Bologna, Rome and Naples, while Vodafone Ireland offers 5G in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
