SDxCentral
Join Log In
SD-WAN 5G Edge 1 IoT SDN NFV Containers Cloud Security AI Data Center Storage APM/NPM Open Source

Log In to SDxCentral

Log in with your email? Forgot your password?
  • Newsletters
  • eBriefs
  • Podcasts
  • Webinars
  • Videos
  • Directory
  • White Papers
  • Resources
  • Use Cases
  • Support

Join SDxCentral and get information tailored to your particular interests everyday.

Join
Sponsored:
Dell EMC Citrix Riverbed

London to be Center of EE, Vodafone 5G Deployment Battle

London to be Center of EE, Vodafone 5G Deployment Battle
Dan Meyer
Dan MeyerJune 20, 2018
11:38 am MT
Email LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Reddit Hacker News

London is set to be ground zero in a 5G deployment battle taking shape in the U.K. between rival operators EE and Vodafone. That country’s capital is currently the only city in which both operators plan to begin trials by year-end.

EE started the skirmish earlier this month when it announced plans to launch a trial in parts of London beginning in October. That trial will include 10 cell sites upgraded with 5G technology. But it will be limited initially for use by just five small businesses and five homes.

The carrier in April won spectrum licenses in the 3.4 GHz band through a government auction that it said it would use for 5G services. EE is the largest mobile operator in the U.K., serving around 30 million customers.

Vodafone countered that move earlier today when it announced plans to trial 5G services in seven markets by year-end. The carrier said it was working on 40 sites in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, and Manchester.

Vodafone said it was in negotiations with enterprise customers “with a view to testing new 5G applications such as augmented and virtual reality in offices, factories, and hospitals.”

The carrier also acquired spectrum in the 3.4 GHz band through the same auction process that it plans to use for the trials. Vodafone, which is the country’s third-largest operator with around 17.5 million customers, last year struck a deal with Ericsson to update the carrier’s U.K. 4G LTE network in preparation for the migration toward 5G support.

Battle Royale

Similar battles are taking shape in the U.S., where nationwide providers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile US, and Sprint have all outlined their 5G plans.

Verizon and AT&T are embroiled in the most heated battle, with each claiming plans to launch the first commercial 5G service by the end of this year. However, Verizon is focusing its efforts on a fixed 5G deployment that would not allow for a device to roam between cell sites, while AT&T is focused on a mobile 5G deployment.

T-Mobile US and Sprint have both announced separate 5G plans, but are also in midst of a merger that they claim will boost their ability to compete with Verizon and AT&T.

A recent report from Strategy Analytics predicts that a combined T-Mobile US and Sprint will result in a 17 percent surge in the uptake of 5G services by 2023. That increase would come from having three similar-sized competitors in the market and investing more in their networks to remain competitive.

Related Articles

T-Mobile Lures Former Ericsson CTO to Head It’s 5G Strategy
T-Mobile Lures Former Ericsson CTO to Head Its 5G Strategy
Sprint and T-Mobile Throw More 5G Pieces on the Table
Sprint and T-Mobile Throw More 5G Pieces on the Table
SDxCentral Weekly Wrap: Google Pledges $13B for US Data Centers and Offices
SDxCentral Weekly Wrap: ZTE Hires Former US Senator to Lobby on Its Behalf
North America to Dominate 5G Connections in 2019
North America to Dominate 5G Connections in 2019
DMeyer headshot
5G Competition Is Finally Here (Sort of)
Cisco, AT&T, Intel and Others Promote Best Anti-Botnet Practices for Companies
Cisco, AT&T, Intel Promote Best Anti-Botnet Practices for Companies
SDxCentral Daily News

Join your Peers! Subscribe to SDxCentral's Newsletter

Article Tags:

5G AT&T Breaking News EE (Everything Everywhere Limited) Ericsson Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Vodafone

Dan Meyer

About Dan Meyer

Dan Meyer is a Senior Editor at SDxCentral, with a focus on containers, lifecycle service orchestration, cloud automation and DevOps. Dan has been covering the telecommunications space for more than 17 years. Prior to SDxCentral, Dan was Editor-In-Chief at RCR Wireless News.

Have a story? Have a News Tip?

Send it to SDxCentral editors as editors@sdxcentral.com.

Subscribe to Get the Daily News!

About SDxCentral

  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • Editorial Team
  • Careers
  • Legal
  • Support

Engage With us

This material may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for any purpose except with express written permission from an authorized representative of SDxCentral, LLC. In addition to such written permission to copy, reproduce, or modify this document in whole or part, an acknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of the copyright notice must be clearly referenced. All Rights Reserved.

© 2012-2019 SDxCentral, LLC, All Rights Reserved. SDNCentral™, the SDNCentral logo, SDxCentral™, SDxCentral logo, SDxNews™, SDxTech™, SDx™, the SDx logo, and DemoFriday™ are trademarks of SDxCentral, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy