UK Telecom Giants BT, EE, and VMO2 Race to 99% 5G SA Coverage by 2030
The UK's telecom landscape is seeing significant developments as BT, EE, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) announce major network upgrades. This comes amidst increased competition following the merger of Vodafone and Three. The goal: to extend 5G Standalone (5G SA) coverage to 99% of the UK population by 2030.
BT, through its mobile subsidiary EE, is leading the charge with plans to deploy over 1,500 outdoor small cells nationwide and install new Ericsson AIR 3284 5G triple-band FDD massive MIMO radios. This is part of its ambition to provide 5G SA to 99% of the local population by the end of the decade. To simplify customer understanding, BT wants to refer to its 5G SA network as '5G+'.
VMO2, formed by the merger of Virgin Media and Telefónica UK (O2), is also making strides. It plans to roll out a thousand new Giga Sites nationwide in the next year, using Nokia technology to support massive MIMO. This follows Vodafone's lead, which provided over 1,000 mobile Giga Sites with Nokia technology in 2023. VMO2's acquisition of spectrum from Vodafone UK as part of the merger deal has facilitated this expansion.
CityFibre, an alternative network provider, is also making waves in the fixed-line market. It offers a 5.5 Gbps wholesale package to internet service providers (ISPs), more than three times as fast as its chief rival, BT Openreach. With around 730,000 customers and a growth rate close to doubling every quarter, CityFibre is a significant player in the sector.
These announcements signal a new era of competition and innovation in the UK's telecom industry. With BT, EE, and VMO2 all investing in network upgrades, customers can expect improved speeds and coverage in the coming years. The race is on to meet the government's goal of extending 5G SA coverage to all populated areas of the UK by 2030.
