Three UK continues 5G rollout
December 1, 2020
Mobile telco Three UK is continuing the rollout of its 5G network with the launch of its first Ericsson 5G sites which are now live for its customers in Manchester, Glasgow and Reading.
Three launched 5G back in August 2019 and is now available to customers in 154 towns and cities being serviced by over 800 sites across the UK. Customers using Three’s 5G service will benefit from what the company claims is the UK’s fastest 5G network with median download speeds in excess of 200Mbps in Q3, according to speedtest site Ookla.
The new sites mark the beginning of the next stage of Three’s 5G rollout which will see the connectivity extended to many more areas across the country.
Three became one of over 100 service providers worldwide to establish a 5G commercial agreement with Ericsson back in July 2020. The partnership will help boost network efficiency and enable a cost-effective and rapid extension of 5G across the UK.
“We’re pleased to have our first Ericsson sites live on our network,” commented Susan Buttsworth, Chief Operating Officer at Three UK said. “Ericsson are a key partner in the transformation of our network. Our customers use 3.5 times more data than the industry average so the investments that we are making are vital to enhancing current performance of our 4G network, futureproofing it and delivering on our promise of providing better connectivity, every day for every customer.”
The partnership with Ericsson to roll out its 5G network is part of a £2 billion investment into the transformation of Three UK’s Network and IT infrastructure, and also includes improvements to its 4G network.
As part of this investment, Three has also launched 20 new data centres, made significant improvements to its fibre backhaul capabilities and completed the roll out of VoLTE across its entire 4G network.
“All of these improvements are helping us ensure better connectivity, every day, for every customer,” it concludes.