MobileManDan
Three UK have today announced its latest update on the massive network rollout currently underway.
The company are spending a huge £2bn on upgrading the current 4G performance, whilst also rolling out 5G at the same time.
Right now there are 1250 sites already live with 5G in 192 towns and cities across the UK bringing super fast download speeds to customers.
This is up from 1000 that the company had hit by the end of 2020 and shows how fast the rollout is happening.
As well as rolling out the masts, the backhaul has to be in place to allow multiple high speed connections, and 3200 of these have been given 10Gbs upgrades which will improve overall speed and capacity.
It is not all about 5G though, part of the big network update involves improving the existing 4G network giving customers a better experience too.
A big part of this is rolling out 20MHz of 1400 spectrum which massively improves download speed and overall performance.
Voice quality has also improved thanks to VoLTE rolling out across the whole network and thus brings much better quality voice calls and better dropped call rates.
With many people needing to remote work due to the current pandemic, customers are using record numbers of data now hitting on average 17GB a month.
Check out below for the press release and more information.
— Press Release – –
- Three UK is investing £2 billion in transforming its Network and IT infrastructure
- Three’s network grows to 1,250 5G sites in 193 towns and cities
- 4G connectivity is boosted with the continuing rollout of 20MHz of 1400MHz spectrum, for up to 3 times faster download speeds.
10Gbps backhaul has been added to more than 3200 sites boosting experience for Three UK’s 4G and 5G customers. The £2 billion network investment continues with 5G sites hitting 1,250 and the addition of new 4G spectrum to our network.
The improvements are all part of Three UK’s ambition is to deliver better connectivity, every day for every customer.
5G progress
Three now has 1,250 5G sites in 193 towns and cities, including Brentwood, Chorley and Gateshead, as part of a 5-year programme to deliver the UK’s fastest 5G network.
This is up from 1,000 sites at the end of last year with hundreds more sites expected to come online before the end of 2021. More and more of Three’s mobile and home broadband customers will continue to see benefits from the largest 5G spectrum holding throughout the year as we continue to rollout.
Three’s 5G home broadband coverage is also growing with 1.6M households covered by our service, which is delivering superfast download speeds over wireless.
4G enhancements
The company’s 4G connectivity has also received a boost with the addition of 20MHz of 1400MHz spectrum added to 1500 sites in our portfolio, which will increase download speeds by up to 3 times.
The addition of the extra spectrum means that the capacity of its 4G network, on the sites where it has been deployed, has been doubled.
Approximately 4 million customers with a 1400MHz band capable device will benefit from the speed improvement when connecting to a site with the technology. Devices include iPhone 11 and 12 ranges, Google Pixel range and Samsung’s S8, S9, S9, S10 S20, S21 ranges; as well as the OnePlus and Oppo devices.
In addition to the capacity benefits the 1400MHz spectrum is great for improving both outdoor and indoor coverage. More sites will go live throughout 2021.
Transmission update
The business has upgraded 3,200 sites with 10Gbps transmission, a 20 fold increase in backhaul capacity, which will improve both 4G and 5G speeds.
Improved voice quality
The majority of voice traffic is now support on the 4G network with significant improvements in voice quality and clarity.
New deal to enhance rural coverage
As part of the first stage of the Shared Rural Network (SRN), we are building 74 new sites in partnership with O2 and Vodafone to deliver a total of 222 new mobile masts to boost rural coverage across the United Kingdom.
The construction of the new masts will commence in 2021 and is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
Data usage increases again
The network improvement is great news for data hungry customers. For the first time in the company’s history, the average data usage, per customer, per month has surpassed 17GB; driven by customers spending more time at home during the UK’s third lockdown in January 2021 and supported by Three’s £2bn network and IT transformation. Customer usage has grown in the last year with average data usage, per customer, per month, increasing by an astonishing 53%. Network demand peaked on 28 January due to streaming of the Tottenham vs Liverpool premier league match. In the last year, peak demand has increased by 37%
Susan Buttsworth, Chief Operating Officer at Three UK, said: “We have made solid progress at the start of 2021 and are meeting our goal to deliver better connectivity, every day, for every customer. Our 5G roll out has made excellent progress with 1250 sites across 193 towns and cities and we’ve made strong improvements to boost the 4G experience for our customers, which has never been more vital with virtual working and home schooling.”
