The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Vodafone partner to develop a terrestrial timing signal that meets stringent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards for accuracy.
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Vodafone have successfully completed a set of trials using the NPLTime® service as an alternative to GPS-timing signals.
Requirements for precise time delivery have driven the telecoms sector toward the increased use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for accurate timing. There are various alternatives to GNSS, each with their own capabilities, but GNSS has become the default mechanism for most sectors to access timing signals.
As the telecommunications industry rolls out 5G networks and prepares for 6G, it’s important there is a range of diversified timing signal sources that are resilient and secure. All major telecommunications providers in the UK and Europe share this requirement.
In the UK, VodafoneThree* is the first Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to test the performance of a terrestrial NMI-provided time source as an alternative to GNSS-based time in their network timing infrastructure.
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Vodafone is accelerating 5G coverage and improving data service performance across Europe and emerging markets by deploying 5G Standalone (SA) networks, launching enterprise-grade slicing services, and 5G Advanced programmes.
Vodafone is positioning itself as a future-ready connectivity platform for both consumers and industries, making it a must to protect the 5G network and future networks. Vodafone is actively reducing reliance on GNSS (GPS) for time synchronisation for the VodafoneThree network in the UK and other Vodafone markets around Europe in collaboration with European Metrology Institutes.
The partnership will support the reliability and resilience of VodafoneThree’s £11bn network investment programme to create the UK’s best network, reaching 99% 5G SA population coverage by 2030, and 99.96% by 2034.
For the past 30 years, NPL has been operating the UK’s national time scale, UTC(NPL), and for the past 8 years it has been disseminating NPLTime®, an end-to-end fibre-based timing service that has been supporting the finance sector with regulatory compliance.
The partnership between NPL and Vodafone will develop a telecom version of the NPLTime service that meets stringent ITU standards for signal accuracy, stability, resilience and traceability. More specifically, the new service will deliver a terrestrial reference signal that is traceable to UTC(NPL) and can maintain accuracy within 40ns.
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Ookla data* ranked the UK 24th out of 30 European countries for 5G availability last year. It’s a gap with real consequences, says Andrea Donà, VodafoneThree’s Chief Network Officer.
At the end of the trial, the new service will meet the accuracy requirements of most sectors in the UK and offer the potential for telecommunications operators to extend the reach of a UK sovereign time source to other industries. Vodafone intends to replicate the same telecom timing infrastructure across all Vodafone markets.
The partnership builds on the UK government’s efforts to increase resilience for Position, Navigation and Time (PNT) for the UK’s digital infrastructure as well as on NPL’s role in delivering the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme.
Pete Thompson, CEO, NPL, said: “Accurate and resilient timing is fundamental to the UK’s digital infrastructure. This partnership with Vodafone showcases how UK innovation can deliver secure and resilient timing solutions. By leveraging NPL’s expertise in time dissemination we are helping the telecoms sector to strengthen the foundations for future technologies.”
Speaking about the partnership, Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer, VodafoneThree, said: “Our work with the National Physical Laboratory marks a significant step in reducing over reliance on GPS-based timing and strengthening the foundations of our future-ready 5G Standalone network.
“By testing a terrestrial timing solution we’re helping to ensure that our £11 billion investment delivers a network that is not only faster and more reliable, but also more secure and resilient for our customers.”
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Notes to Editors:
About NPL
NPL is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, providing the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life.
From new antibiotics to tackle resistance and more effective cancer treatments, to secure quantum communications and superfast 5G, technological advances must be built on a foundation of reliable measurement to succeed. Building on over a century’s worth of expertise, our science, engineering and technology provides this foundation. We save lives, protect the environment and enable citizens to feel safe and secure, as well as support international trade and commercial innovation. As a national laboratory, our advice is always impartial and independent, meaning consumers, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs can always rely on the work we do.
Based in Teddington, south-west London, NPL employs over 800 scientists. NPL also has regional bases across the UK, including at the University of Surrey, the University of Strathclyde, the University of Cambridge and the University of Huddersfield’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.
For more information visit: www.npl.co.uk
About VodafoneThree:
VodafoneThree is the UK’s largest mobile network operator serving the fixed and mobile market, formed following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK in June 2025.
Through an unprecedented £11 billion investment, VodafoneThree will build the UK’s best network. The network will deliver reliable, quality connectivity to all nations and regions, creating as many as 13,000 jobs and laying a digital foundation for the country’s growth ambitions. VodafoneThree is the only mobile network operator with a fully funded, regulated and guaranteed network build plan, reaching 99% 5G Standalone population coverage by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, the company’s mission is to build the UK’s best network.
VodafoneThree is a private company, 51% owned by Vodafone and 49% owned by CK Hutchison Holdings. It encompasses all businesses and assets, including Vodafone UK, Three UK, VOXI Mobile, SMARTY and Talkmobile.
