News | 20 Jul 2023

Vodafone records the most data ever used at Wimbledon

5G Standalone was enabled for the first time, giving those at The Championships and around the grounds faster 5G speeds and greater coverage.

  • 532,651 tennis-fans attended The Championships 2023 and Vodafone data shows that more than 64 terabytes (TB) of data was consumed by Wimbledon-goers during the two-week tournament – the most Vodafone data ever used at the event. 
  • Vodafone recorded its busiest day on Sunday 9 July with 5,619 gigabytes (GB) of carried data, when tennis fans watched the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Elina Svitolina and Marketa Vondroušová.

Vodafone data usage figures that show a huge 770GB of data was uploaded and 3,980GB downloaded during the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles Finals at The Championships, Wimbledon 2023.

15,000 tennis fans packed out Centre Court for the Finals on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July to watch Marketa Vondroušová walk away with the ladies’ singles trophy after beating Ons Jabeur in a tense final, and 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz clinch the gentlemen’s singles title against reigning champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.

Jameela Jamil, Michael Owen, Gemma Owen, Lucy Mecklenburgh, Sam Ryder, Ben Stokes, Beth Mead and Myleene Klass among stars spotted in Vodafone’s Wimbledon suite

Celebrities such as Ben Stokes and Beth Mead stepped out of their sporting comfort zones to showcase their tennis skills in the Vodafone Connection Experience.

More than 530,000 tennis-fans attended The Championships over the course of the two weeks. Vodafone can reveal that a total of 64TB of data was consumed during this time, with the demand increasing by 36.5% from 2022 – the most Vodafone data ever used at the tournament.  

As Official Connectivity Partner to The Championships, Vodafone has continued to invest in its Wimbledon network, creating a stronger and more reliable network for future tournaments. Even with crowds of up to 42,000 at the tournament each day, Vodafone’s reliable award-winning network* delivered consistently fast speeds for its customers. 

The Championships, Wimbledon was one of the first major events at which Vodafone customers benefited from its new 5G Standalone connectivity. Whereas the existing 5G service offered by telecoms companies relies partly on 4G technology, Vodafone’s 5G standalone is the fully upgraded 5G network, with every element upgraded and future-proofed. 

5G Ultra: Everything you need to know

5G Ultra is Vodafone's name for 5G Standalone services in the UK - the next iteration of 5G. Here's what it can do for you and how you can get it.

Known as 5G Ultra, the service adds 5G Standalone connectivity to the existing 5G network customers already enjoy, giving them a more reliable experience and creating the most technologically advanced network in the UK. For those with a compatible handset, this means greater 5G coverage and improved phone battery life, more reliable connections in busy locations and amazingly fast 5G speeds.  

As part of its continued commitment to using 5G technology to enhance live experiences, Vodafone has been trialling new 5G-powered GiveVision headsets on Centre Court and No.1 Court at Wimbledon this year, so visually impaired fans could watch live tennis like never before.

Live footage is streamed from local TV cameras over Vodafone 5G to the GiveVision headsets, which enhance the footage to suit the person’s specific sight profile. The new technology means fans can watch the action from anywhere in the stands, showcasing how the power of 5G technology can help make sport more accessible to more people.

Vodafone 5G gives visually impaired tennis fans world-first experience at Wimbledon

Live footage is streamed from local TV cameras over 5G to the headsets – developed by GiveVision – which enhance the footage to suit the person’s specific sight profile.

By bringing its 5G Ultra to events such as Wimbledon, Vodafone is driving greater innovation for consumers as part of its commitment to creating Europe’s leading 5G network. The recently proposed merger with Three UK would create a merged company with the scale to deliver 5G Standalone for more than 99% of the UK’s populated areas by 2034, delivered through an £11 billion investment in the network over the next decade.

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Merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK to create one of Europe's leading 5G networks

Vodafone Group and CH Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Ltd., owner of Three UK, have agreed to combine their UK businesses.