Virgin Media O2, the British operator 50% owned by Telefónica and Liberty Global, announced Friday the launch of its first 5G mobile service on various parts of the London Underground, one of the world’s busiest and most emblematic. The take-off of this new generation of cellular technology by the company will be accompanied by the strengthening of its current coverage with 4G technology.

As explained by the operator, the new service will be rolled out on various subway lines in the north and center of the UK capital, benefiting users with access to high-speed mobile connectivity.

In a statement, the telco explained that 5G and 4G are being used in the tunnel between Queensway and Holland Park, servicing users traveling between the stations. Additionally, the operator explained that the Notting Hill station already has full 5G coverage.

Additionally, the company detailed that 5G and 4G mobile telephony infrastructure had been installed on the North Line between Kentish Town and the Archway, after completing work between the latter station and Tufnell Park.

Virgin Media O2 explained that the deployment is part of a larger project with Transport for London (TfL) and infrastructure operator BAI Communications, to roll out full mobile connectivity to all London Underground stations and tunnels.

“Our customers will be able to check email, download videos flow and access information about trips, as they go around the metro”, said the operator.

The company added that it is working closely with TfL and BAI to expand connectivity to more points on the London Underground network over the coming weeks and months. The goal is to achieve full 4G coverage by the end of 2024, with as many stations and tunnels as possible with 5G connectivity.

In the aforementioned statement, Gareth Turpin, Sales Manager at Virgin Media O2, noted that “for the first time, our customers will have access to 5G mobile services from within the London Underground. This is revolutionary for the capital’s metro, and in the coming weeks we will roll out more mobile services across stations, tunnels and platforms.”

According to the manager, this progress is part of the operator’s commitment to ensure customer access to the network from wherever they are.

In turn, London City Council highlighted that “it is remarkable to see 5G mobile connectivity now available in some metro stations, which demonstrates that the cutting-edge technology embedded in the network is future-proofed and adaptable for the next generation of mobile signals”.

Overall, Virgin Media O2 is investing around 2,100 million pounds (nearly 2,400 million euros) by 2022, in accelerating network deployment to expand ‘gigabit’ and 5G to new parts of the UK. The company plans to accelerate deployment this year.

Over the past year, Virgin Mobile O2 has expanded 5G connectivity to more than 1,600 UK cities and towns, as well as expanded 4G network capacity. The carrier’s goal for this exercise is to extend 5G mobile phone coverage to 50% of the UK population.

mobile business

The operator closed last year with a total of 24.05 million cellular subscribers, of which 16.08 million were contractual and 7.96 million prepaid. Additionally, Virgin media O2 has 9.77 million cellular lines for the Internet of Things, and another 10.81 million connections in the wholesale segment.

Revenue from Virgin Media O2’s mobile services increased by 1.7% on the year as a whole, exceeding 5,913 million pounds (more than 6,750 million euros).

Vodafone Spain’s new destination in 5G

Vodafone Spain announced this Friday it would expand its 5G network to 65% of the population, reaching a total of 2,000 cities, during this year. The operator explained that they use the 700 MHz frequency, which provides better coverage, especially indoors, and has large available bandwidth and data transmission, which is a huge advantage in rural and small-town environments. Likewise, the company confirmed that it will continue to expand the 5G coverage as well with the 3,700 MHz frequency.

The company determined that, of the 1,000 new cities the carrier plans to use with 5G phones this year, 238 are cities with less than 1,000 residents, mainly in rural areas.

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