- VodafoneThree deployed extra 1800MHz spectrum to around 15,000 sites, boosting 4G speeds for over 7 million Three and SMARTY customers by 20% on average (up to 40%).
- The move aims to harmonise performance across networks, enhancing consistency and preparing groundwork for unified roaming and broader 5G rollout.
What happened: VodafoneThree pipes in more spectrum for 4G speed boost
VodafoneThree has activated an additional 5MHz of 1800MHz spectrum across approximately 15,000 Three UK and SMARTY sites, delivering a 20% average uplift in 4G speeds. In areas like Aylesbury, users experienced gains of up to 40% . The enhancement marks an early benefit of the recently completed £11 billion merger between Vodafone and Three, with engineers working swiftly across the network starting in Kent and Sussex before expanding to Scotland.
Over 7 million Three UK and SMARTY customers began receiving the boost within two weeks of spectrum activation, with benefits expected to roll out further across VodafoneThree users.
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Why it’s important
This spectrum-sharing initiative addresses longstanding performance gaps between Three and Vodafone’s networks. Although Three UK users previously enjoyed faster 4G download speeds, their consistency and coverage quality lagged, particularly in dense urban areas. The new shared spectrum aims to close that gap and improve reliability.
The broader integration sets the scene for cascading benefits: soon, 28.8 million users across both brands will roam automatically between networks, erasing service blackspots and enhancing quality at no extra cost. These first steps reflect VodafoneThree’s vision of a unified, high-capacity UK network as part of its long-term connectivity strategy.
