Press Release | 08 Mar 2016

VODAFONE ANNOUNCES MAJOR 3G AND 4G NETWORK IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS LEICESTER

 

Vodafone UK has announced major network improvements across Leicester, bringing stronger indoor and outdoor coverage, and mobile internet services across its 3G and 4G networks. This is part of Vodafone’s approximate              £2 billion investment across the UK in the last two years, which will help extend 3G and 4G mobile coverage to more than 98% of the Leicester population.

As a consequence of the network improvements already undertaken by Vodafone over the last year, mobile data traffic in Leicester has rocketed. Customers are now collectively using over two and a half terabytes of data every day, which equates to everyone in King Power Stadium streaming Kasabian’s latest album, 48:13, one and a half times*. This also includes a data spike, equivalent to over 2.3 million additional Snapchat images sent and received, over the course of The Noisily Festival in July.

The upgrade forms part of Vodafone’s approximate £3 million daily nationwide network and service investment rolled out over the last two years. This investment is already benefitting customers in Leicester, a fact endorsed by results from independent technology consultancy LCC, which show that Vodafone has unbeatable indoor and outdoor 4G coverage in the city**. In light of this, 4G data usage in Leicester is growing month on month, and total data usage is now more than double what it was this time last year.

In addition, the recent strengthening of our 3G network across the city has already provided greater coverage, High Definition (HD) Voice technology for voice calls and faster mobile internet services to more consumers and businesses.

A snapshot of Vodafone in Leicester:

  • The data usage across Leicester peaked at major sporting events over the last year, including key football matches such as the recent Leicester City vs Arsenal Premier League game. Data usage on this day increased by the equivalent of nearly 17,000 extra hours of web browsing.
  • The average data traffic per week in Leicester is equal to browsing the internet for over 720,000 hours*- that’s equivalent to someone surfing the web for over 80 years!
  • Around 70% of the data traffic in Leicester is now 4G data.
  • Daily 4G data traffic in Leicester now equals around 450,000* songs being streamed every day.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

  • *based on the average song size being 4MB, average non HD film being 750MB and 1 hour of typical browsing equating to 10-25MB as collated by

http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/guides/broadband/guide-to-internet-data-usage

  • **4G coverage assessed by LCC in October against key competitors with 4G coverage.
  • Vodafone has expanded its ultrafast 4G coverage to 795 larger cities, towns and districts as well as thousands of smaller communities across the UK. For more information on our 4G coverage visit vodafone.co.uk/4g.
  • Customers can check Vodafone’s current and planned coverage at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/our-network-and-coverage/uk-coverage-map/index.htm
  • Coverage predictions are based on an assumption that Vodafone can obtain planning permission to build sites, access to land or buildings to place equipment and backhaul to connect sites.
  • Vodafone 4G is typically 3.6 times faster than our 3G. Speeds vary and depend on coverage and demand. For more information visit vodafone.co.uk/4g
  • 4G devices are available for review on request.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 693 693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Twitter: @VodafoneUKNews

Website: https://vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/

Vodafone Limited

Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN

Registered in England No: 1471587