{"id":41613,"date":"2022-04-04T17:16:51","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T16:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/gsma_resources\/5g-in-the-united-kingdom-calls-for-consolidation-grow\/"},"modified":"2022-04-04T17:16:51","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T16:16:51","slug":"5g-in-the-united-kingdom-calls-for-consolidation-grow","status":"publish","type":"gsma_theme_resources","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/cn\/gsma_resources\/5g-in-the-united-kingdom-calls-for-consolidation-grow\/","title":{"rendered":"5G in The United Kingdom: Calls for Consolidation Grow\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Key Takeaways\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Operator Three UK led the UK market for 5G performance with a median download speed of 258.80 Mbps in Q3-Q4 2021.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">EE led on 5G Availability at 19.3% during Q3-Q4 2021, but this remains low at a market level.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Like other European markets, the requirement to remove network equipment from Chinese vendors has negatively impacted the speed of 5G deployments in the UK<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Based on the number of people per 5G base station, the UK lags behind other 5G pioneer markets, indicating a change in deployment is required.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">U.K. regulator Ofcom has highlighted the need to drive greater mobile network capacity to meet future demand, with the release of mmWave spectrum and further network densification key levers. However, attention is likely to turn once again to market consolidation to help accelerate network densification \u2014 an area where Ofcom has felt the need to clarify its position.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>5G network investment accelerating\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The United Kingdom (UK) was among the first markets to launch 5G globally, with EE launching the 5G in May 2019. Since then, despite UK operators ramping up 5G investment, the market has been on par with many other European markets in terms of 5G performance, but the UK still lags behind 5G pioneers like South Korea and China as\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/articles\/5g-united-kingdom-q1-q2-2021\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">we saw in Q1-Q2 2021<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">According to the Ofcom\u2019s\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/research-and-data\/multi-sector-research\/infrastructure-research\/connected-nations-2021\/main-report\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Connected Nations 2021<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202freport, 5G network investment in the UK is accelerating, hitting \u00a3330 million in 2020 \u2014 an increase of over \u00a3150 million (88%) vs. 2019. Dense urban areas are mostly supported by high capacity C-band spectrum (awarded in 2018 and in 2021), increasingly augmented by hotspot deployments in suburban areas and around main transport corridors. The number of mobile base stations providing 5G services more than doubled last year \u2014 from 3,000 sites in 2020 to over 6,500 sites in 2021. Based on the UK\u2019s population as of 2020, this would equate to over 10,000 people per 5G base station, placing it well behind South Korea, China, the EU average, and even the US according to the EU 5G Observatory\u2019s\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/5gobservatory.eu\/observatory-overview\/5g-scoreboards\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">International Scoreboard<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture1-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28743 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture1-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture1-1.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture1-1-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture1-1-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In order to reduce costs and optimize network deployment, the UK&#8217;s mobile network operators already deploy and run a portion of their radio access network (RAN) via network sharing agreements.\u202f<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Mobile Broadband Network Limited<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202f(MBNL), is a 50-50 joint venture between EE and Three UK, to manage the design and operation of their shared network. Additionally,\u202f<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited (CTIL)<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fis a 50-50 joint venture between O2 and Vodafone that owns and oversees the operators\u2019 passive tower infrastructure.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/newscentre.vodafone.co.uk\/press-release\/vodafone-and-o2-finalise-5g-uk-network-agreement\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">O2 and Vodafone announced in 2019 that they would share 5G- active equipment<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, such as radio antennas, in order to reduce the time to launch and cost effectively deploy 5G. This excludes around 2,700 sites in densely populated areas (in over 20 cities) where the operators will maintain separate active RAN components to give them greater autonomy and enable more flexibility to meet customer requirements. In January 2021, Vodafone transferred its 50% share to Vantage Towers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ofcom highlights need for greater network capacity\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">A recent\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/consultations-and-statements\/category-3\/discussion-paper-meeting-future-demand-for-mobile-data\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">discussion paper<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fby UK regulator Ofcom illuminated its future approach to mobile markets, and while it shied away from further regulation, it did highlight the need to plan for more network capacity to meet future demand. Additionally, Ofcom\u2019s discussion paper highlighted releasing further spectrum, looking to technological advances to improve spectral efficiency, and the need for further network densification. However, the challenge for operators lies in supporting the level of network investment required given the current mobile market structure in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There is a clear desire for further mobile network consolidation in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, with recent examples including the agreed joint venture between MasMovil and Orange in Spain, and Iliad\u2019s recent bid for Vodafone Italy. The last time the UK market saw mobile consolidation was in 2010 with the merger of T-Mobile and Orange to form EE. Since then, subsequent attempts to drive further mobile consolidation \u2014 Three UK\u2019s planned merger with O2 in 2016 \u2014 have been blocked by Ofcom and the European Commission. During Three UK\u2019s\u202f recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threemediacentre.co.uk\/content\/three-uk-publishes-full-year-results-for-2021\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">2021 results announcement<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, Robert Finnegan, Three UK\u2019s Chief Executive Officer, warned that despite achieving positive results, \u201cthe UK market with four operators continues to remain dysfunctional and requires a structural change to improve the overall quality of infrastructure that UK customers should expect.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ofcom\u2019s latest discussion paper alludes to a potential softening in its stance on mobile mergers, indicating that it would be \u201cinformed by the specific circumstances of that particular merger, taking into account how markets are evolving.\u201d Given the strong move towards convergence, such as BT\u2019s acquisition of EE and the more recent O2 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginmedia.com\/\">Virgin Media<\/a> merger, further market consolidation cannot be ruled out.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Freeing up further spectrum for 5G use remains a priority\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Since early 5G deployments, all four operators in the UK have been utilizing mid-band spectrum for 5G, which is considered a spectrum \u201csweet spot\u201d that offers both fast speeds and broad geographic coverage. In April 2021, every operator boosted their spectrum holdings across the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum bands. O2, for example, has started using low-band spectrum for 5G, and has recently\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.virginmediao2.co.uk\/virgin-media-o2-gives-londoners-a-5g-connectivity-boost\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">committed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fto invest at least \u00a310 billion in the UK, delivering 5G to over 2,000 sites across the country in 2021. The operator\u2019s 5G coverage currently extends to 300 towns and cities and is set to reach 50% of the UK\u2019s population with its 5G services in 2023.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Operators have been also re-farming their legacy 2G and 3G spectrum for 5G and utilizing dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) to facilitate dynamic use of 4G and 5G in the same bands. In December 2021, the government also announced the goal of switching off 2G and 3G networks by 2033 to free up spectrum for 5G. Ofcom\u2019s recently published\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0017\/232082\/mobile-spectrum-demand-discussion-paper.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">discussion paper on mobile networks and spectrum<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, identifies a large amount of mobile spectrum in the mmWave frequencies, which if allocated, will help boost network capacity. The regulator will consult on proposals to enable mmWave band in Q1 2022\/23.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the road to 5G standalone networks\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">5G is currently rolled out in a non-standalone (NSA) mode in the UK, meaning that it still relies on the 4G LTE core network. We expect all operators to upgrade to 5G standalone (SA) in time, with 5G core networks and 5G RAN, especially as additional 5G capabilities proliferate such as ultra-low latency communication (URLC)\u202f and virtual network functions such as network slicing which will enable new 5G use cases. Operators in the UK are already trialing 5G SA:\u202f in June 2021\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newscentre.vodafone.co.uk\/press-release\/vodafone-launches-5g-standalone-commercial-pilot-in-london-manchester-and-cardiff\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Vodafone launched a commercial pilot of 5G SA<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fin London, Manchester, and Cardiff, which built on an earlier trial carried out with Coventry University in the summer of 2020. In March 2022, Vodafone and Ericsson completed the UK&#8217;s first\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newscentre.vodafone.co.uk\/press-release\/uk-first-on-demand-5g-network-slice\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">5G SA network slicing trial<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. It was a lab demonstration of 5G network slicing with on-demand quality of service control for virtual reality use case in a retail store. The slice guaranteed a download speed of 260 Mbps and latency of 12 milliseconds. It isn\u2019t clear when Vodafone plans to commercially launch 5G SA but Vodafone Germany became the\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ericsson.com\/en\/cases\/2021\/vodafone-and-ericsson\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">first operator to launch 5G SA in Europe<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202flast year.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The recent 5G SA collaboration between EE, the BBC, and Ericsson, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ee.co.uk\/ericsson-partners-with-ee-to-showcase-5g-standalone-technology-in-the-green-planet-ar-experience\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Green Planet AR Experience<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u201d showcased the unique capabilities of 5G SA and edge computing.\u202fAdditionally, EE plans to extend 5G coverage to 90% of the U.K. geographical area by 2028, which will be facilitated by the migration to a cloud-based core and the launch of 5G SA by 2023. EE is also planning to sell 5G SA in a way that will resonate with the customers and bring \u201ctechnology to them in a really human way\u201d. This is a move away from EE advertising the benefits of 5G as being able to get a real-time close shave with a robotic arm. However, Marc Allera, CEO of BT Consumer (EE\u2019s parent company), does not rule out\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/home-banner\/ee-boss-plays-up-consumer-5g-proposition\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">metaverse<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fas a possible proposition blending entertainment, sports broadcasting, gaming, and e-commerce.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Security worries pave the road to Open RAN\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Huawei kit needs to be removed from a number of European countries, including the UK In July 2020, in response to US sanctions against Huawei, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) announced that it overturned its earlier decision to exclude Huawei\u2019s access from core and sensitive networks and, instead, completely remove Huawei\u2019s kit from the UK\u2019s 5G networks by the end of 2027. The government further pushed Open RAN expectations in December 2021 by setting a goal of having\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/a-joint-statement-on-the-sunsetting-of-2g-and-3g-networks-and-public-ambition-for-open-ran-rollout-as-part-of-the-telecoms-supply-chain-diversificatio\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">35% of its telecom network traffic carried over Open RAN by 2030<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. This target is an aspirational one, rather than a hard mandated quota and is apparently supported by all mobile operators. It does come with a \u00a3250 million funding to support and accelerate the development of open and interoperable RAN, which is significantly less than \u20ac2 billion the German government has\u202f specifically dedicated for Open RAN as part of \u20ac50 billion\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesfinanzministerium.de\/Content\/EN\/Standardartikel\/Topics\/Public-Finances\/Articles\/2020-06-04-fiscal-package.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Package for the Future<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In January 2022, Vodafone switched on the UK\u2019s first 5G Open RAN site in Bath, Somerset, which is the first of 2,500 planned sites and marks the beginning of the\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vodafone.com\/news\/press-release\/vodafone-europe-first-commercial-open-ran-network\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">first scaled Open RAN project in Europe<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. EE\u2019s parent company, BT Group, is more skeptical about the technology, with Neil McRae, MD of Architecture and Strategy and chief architect at BT Group, reminding the\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/top-three\/bt-unconvinced-on-open-ran-cost-benefits\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">MWC 2022 audiences\u202f<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">that there are different paths operators can take to drive down costs and improve performance. Nonetheless, BT is trialing Open RAN in Hull to see how the technology can improve the customer experience of EE\u2019s 5G network. We have discussed the current progress on Open RAN across Europe in our latest article\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/articles\/5g-europe-mapping-the-future-q1-2022\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">5G in Europe: Reflecting on the Progress So Far and Mapping the Future<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fand reflected on the discussions on this topic\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/articles\/mwc-2022-analyst-take\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">at MWC 2022\u202f<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">here.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>UK compared to its European peers\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture2-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28745 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture2-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture2-2.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture2-2-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture2-2-768x350.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In our recent post \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/articles\/5g-europe-mapping-the-future-q1-2022\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">5G in Europe: Reflecting on the Progress So Far and Mapping the Future<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201d, we looked at how different European countries stacked up against each other and international peers. Using\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/speedtest-intelligence\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Speedtest Intelligence<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00ae,\u202f we compared 5G in the UK against its peers\u2019 5G performance.France (190.17 Mbps) and\u202fSwitzerland (188.27 Mbps)\u202ftopped our list with the fastest median 5G download speeds\u202f\u202fduring the second half of 2021, followed by the U.K. (176.22 Mbps), Ireland (162.46 Mbps), Germany (155.87 Mbps), and Netherlands (142.55 Mbps). Interestingly, despite all of the French operators launching 5G service in December 2020, relatively late compared to other analyzed countries, they achieved top median download speeds due to substantial network investments.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Switzerland, however, had the fastest median upload speed over 5G\u202fat 35.51 Mbps\u202fduring Q3-Q4 2021, followed by the Netherlands (31.29 Mbps), Germany (25.80 Mbps), Ireland (21.20 Mbps), France (15.19 Mbps), and the UK (14.79 Mbps).\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Netherlands had the highest 5G Availability among the UK\u2019s peers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture3-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28747 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture3-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture3-2.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture3-2-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture3-2-768x493.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The ranking shifts when it comes to 5G Availability \u2014 the percentage of users on 5G-capable devices that spend most of the time with access to 5G networks. The Netherlands had the highest 5G Availability at 45.3%, followed by Switzerland (32.2%), the UK (12.4%), Ireland (11.7%), and France (11.5%).\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The telecom regulator Ofcom in its Connected Nations report stated that the uptake of 5G-enabled handsets across the UK increased from 800,000 in 2020 to over six million in September 2021, accounting for around 10% of all devices. This is still far behind South Korea, which was the first country to commercialize 5G in 2019 and where the number of smartphone users on the 5G network reached roughly\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/technology\/south-korea-s-5g-users-topped-20-million-in-november-2021-report-122010300239_1.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">20.2 million in November 2021<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, equivalent to 28% of mobile subscriptions.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">According to Counterpoint Research, the UK is the leader in Western Europe in terms of 5G penetration of smartphone sales. In Q4 2021, 83% of smartphones sold in the UK were 5G enabled, compared to the regional average of 73%. In time, this will translate into a larger install base of 5G devices and share of overall subscriptions.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture4-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28749 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture4-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture4-1.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture4-1-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture4-1-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Three UK was the fastest 5G operator in the UK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28751 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture5.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture5-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture5-768x356.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Three UK had the fastest median 5G download speed among top operators, achieving 258.80 Mbps during Q3-Q4 2021, far ahead of Vodafone (170.39 Mbps), EE (166.87 Mbps), and O2 (139.61 Mbps). Median 5G upload speeds across all operators were very similar with Vodafone at 17.86 Mbps, EE at 15.89 Mbps, Three UK at 13.94 Mbps, and O2 at 11.47 Mbps during Q3-Q4 2021. Three UK benefited from having the largest, dedicated 5G spectrum \u2014 140MHz frequency across several 5G spectrum bands, including 100 MH block of continuous spectrum in the 3.3-3.8 GHz band. Three UK\u2019s 5G coverage extended to more than a third of the U.K. population across 370 towns and cities with 2,500 live sites. The operator launched fixed wireless access (FWA) 5G services in August 2019, followed by mobile 5G services in February 2020, which were built upon the 5G-ready, cloud-native core network provided by Nokia in July 2019. Three UK has invested over \u00a32 billion to transform its network and IT infrastructure, as part of a five-year program.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>EE leads on 5G Availability\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture6.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28753 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture6.png 975w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture6-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture6-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">EE had the highest 5G Availability at 19.3% during Q3-Q4 2021, ahead of Three UK (14.4%), Vodafone (9.8%), and O2 (7.8%). In a bid to extend its 4G LTE network coverage, EE has\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ee.co.uk\/ee-boosts-coverage-in-major-towns-and-cities--through-new-small-cells-deployment\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">deployed small cells<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fto boost capacity in high-demand areas. Soon, the operator will begin trials to extend the use of small cells to 5G networks by upgrading Nokia\u2019s AirScale portfolio.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>5G in the UK is rapidly expanding and we\u2019ll be following the market closely\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Mobile operators are actively expanding 5G networks and the 5G adoption in the UK is growing, stimulated by greater smartphone availability and operators\u2019 innovative services. We\u2019ll be watching 5G performance closely in the UK using Speedtest Intelligence. If you want to learn more about how Speedtest Intelligence can help you benchmark your 5G performance against competitors,\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ookla.com\/inquire\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">please inquire here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;335559739&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Ookla re<\/em><em>tains ow<\/em><em>nership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sylwia Kechiche, Ookla LLC,\u202fMarch 30, 2022\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"image":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-membership\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/document_default.png","json":{"gsma_resources_type":"Press 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