U.K. operator Three UK currently operates 1,250 5G sites in 193 towns and cities across the country, the company said in a release.
At the end of December 2020, the U.K. telco had 1,000 operational 5G base stations across the country.
Three also said that hundreds more 5G sites are expected to come online before the end of 2021.
Susan Buttsworth, COO 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 rollout has made excellent progress with 1,250 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.”
The company added that its 4G connectivity has also received a boost with the addition of 20 megahertz of 1.4 GHz spectrum enabled at 1,500 sites in its portfolio, which will increase download speeds by up to three 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, the telco said.
“In addition to the capacity benefits, the 1400 MHz spectrum is great for improving both outdoor and indoor coverage. More sites will go live throughout 2021,” the company said.
Last month, IT services and consulting company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced that it was selected by Three UK to configure its mobile network for its ongoing rollout of 5G services.
The U.K. operator selected TCS as its partner to manage the configuration of a new core next generation mobile network, and ensure it integrates correctly with the 5G radio access network. The contract stipulates the configuration of the core network for new site deployments, site upgrades, performance management, and 3G and 4G tuning changes.
TCS says its software will speed up configuration checking and reduce manual errors, ensuring first-time-right network configuration. As part of the deal, TCS will also provide 24×7 support across the network for configuration corrections and ad-hoc site testing.
Three initially launched 5G services in the UK in August 2019, with the initial offering of a high-speed 5G broadband service in parts of London.
Some of the cities covered by Three UK’s 5G network include Aberdeen, , Bath, Bedford, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Luton, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Reading, Swansea, York and Wigan.
Three, part of the CK Hutchison Holdings, currently has approximately 10 million subscribers in the U.K.
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