Opened by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the new facility has undergone a £6.5 million refurbishment and now houses a workforce of 1000. Additionally, the news comes in line with the company’s £1 million per week investment in upgrading and improving network capacity across the capital.
Vodafone UK also announced a new partnership with Transport for London (TfL) making it the first operator in the UK to agree to trial wireless connectivity in tunnels and at station platforms on the eastern part of the Jubilee line. As a result, customers will be able to connect their devices to Vodafone’s 4G network from spring 2020 so that they can make calls, stream video and download content whilst on the tube. The new service will have the potential for 5G connectivity in the future.
“London is on track to become the world’s leading smart city, and the move to 5G has the potential to make the capital a global trailblazer in civic innovation,” said Sadiq Khan. “By working with providers like Vodafone we can develop the best technologies that will boost our economy and meet the needs of Londoners, radically improving how we live and work.”
According to Vodafone’s latest research, adoption of 5G promises to power the UK’s next digital age and the move from 4G to 5G will be transformational. The boost to London’s economy, which will come from increased levels of productivity, is forecast to be in the region of £30 billion by 2030.
“5G will enable a whole new generation of digital services capable of improving transportation, housing, and connectivity across the capital,” added Nick Jeffery (pictured), CEO of Vodafone UK. ”5G will transform the way we live, how and where we do business, and improve how productive we can be at work.”
