News | 11 Jan 2024

Capital gains max: Vodafone London network improvements in 2023

From the Elizabeth line to Battersea Power Station and Wembley, here’s just a taste of where Vodafone has been bolstering its mobile signal in London.

2023 was an extremely busy year for Vodafone’s network team in London. For starters, there was the small matter of the King’s Coronation which saw overall data usage around Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace increase by around 90% compared to a typical Saturday.

Even without the Coronation, overall demand for data across the capital doesn’t seem to be slowing down. 2023 saw an increase of over 25% in overall data usage on the Vodafone network, compared to 2022. Even so, Vodafone was named London’s Best Network by European network testing agency NET CHECK, achieving this thanks to a cavalcade of 5G and 4G network improvements to meet soaring demand. Here are just a few of them.

Shopping centres

Two of London’s largest shopping centres, Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, benefited from dedicated 4G coverage. This not only ensures that shoppers have the fast and reliable coverage that they expect. It also means retailers have the connectivity they need to support their business tools – such as ePOS (electronic Point of Sale) systems and digital marketing displays and campaigns. These are particularly important during the busy Christmas and New Year trading periods.

Battersea Power Station is now London’s latest shopping hub and riverside neighbourhood. It is only going to get busier, so the site received dedicated Vodafone 4G coverage improvements to keep up with the expected growth in demand and to support customers living, working and visiting there.

Vodafone network improvements check out at 10 shopping centres

Vodafone network improvements, both 5G and 4G, are being rolled out in shopping centres across the UK.

Olé, Olé, Olé

For those planning to cheer on their favourite team or to see a concert, some of London’s largest and busiest venues have also received enhanced coverage. These include Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium, which now have improved 5G and 4G signal respectively.

Going deeper underground

Vodafone was involved in the very first trials of 4G coverage on the eastern end of the Jubilee line and continues to bring its mobile signal to more stations and tunnels across the London Underground network and other TfL services, with 31 stations covered so far.

The latest Tube stations to see the arrival of Vodafone 5G include Holborn (Central Line) and Highgate (Northern Line), joining other stations across the Central, Jubilee and Northern lines. Customers now have signal on both branches of the Northern Line from Archway and Belsize Park down to Tottenham Court Road, as well as large stretches of the Central Line between Holland Park and Chancery Lane.

Vodafone 4G is now available on the Elizabeth Line at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Vodafone WiFi was also reintroduced across the Tube network in 2023 to complement the mobile signal improvements.

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Fly away

For those planning to get away from it all this year, dedicated Vodafone 5G and 4G was installed across Gatwick Airport back in 2022. Perfect for streaming boxsets to keep the kids amused at the boarding gate or gloating to family and friends over video chat before boarding the plane for warmer shores.

2024

As for 2024, network investment continues across the city with further locations and landmarks receiving the dedicated network treatment. Meanwhile, the final phase of Vodafone’s 3G switch off will take place early in the year with its radio waves being re-farmed to improve 4G and 5G coverage – not just across London, but across the rest of the UK as well. So, whenever you’re in capital, Vodafone’s fast, reliable and award-winning network will have you covered during 2024 and beyond.

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