Millions of mobile phone customers offered better coverage at ‘no extra cost'
VodafoneThree – created following the completion of the £15 billion mega-merger between Vodafone and Three just last week – said customers will experience better signal with shared access across both networks at no extra cost.
Voxi, Smarty and Talkmobile – which use the Three and Vodafone networks – are also set to benefit.
VodafoneThree said within two weeks, seven million Three and Smarty customers will receive an improvement in 4G data speed of up to 20 per cent, while 27 million Vodafone and Three customers will start to benefit from 'unrivalled' access to roam on each other's networks at no extra cost with a few months.
It said the changes would happen automatically, with customers' phones simply connecting to the best coverage available.
By the end of the year, this would remove a total of 16,500 sq/km of 'not spots' – equivalent to 10 times the size of London – with the first sites already having been turned on.
It has also announced plans to launch trials of a 'first of its kind' space-based satellite mobile network coverage by this time next year to eliminate more 'not spots'.
VodafoneThree said it aimed to challenge the broadband market by aiming to cover all homes with fibre or 'fibre-like' speeds, starting with a new partnership with Community Fibre on top of existing partnerships with CityFibre and Openreach.
Two additional customer care centres in Belfast and Sheffield would bring 400 jobs back to the UK, with no planned retail redundancies, it added.
VodafoneThree chief executive Max Taylor said that a 'new era of connectivity has begun'.
'We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK. We will build the UK's best 5G network with an unprecedented £11 billion privately-funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country's growth ambitions.
'Benefits for our 27 million mobile customers will start within months, with access to roam across both networks at no extra cost. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, our mission is to build the UK's best network.'
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