Vodafone Ireland has announced today (30 June) that it plans to upgrade its entire 3G service onto its 4G and 5G network in a phased programme later this year.
Vodafone said it is upgrading its 3G network to the faster services as part of a nationwide network modernisation programme.
The company said data dependency on 3G has significantly reduced in recent years, to the point where 6pc of data used on Vodafone’s network travels on 3G.
The decision to upgrade its Irish network follows similar programmes taking place in countries such as the UK, Italy and the Netherlands, as part of Vodafone’s global effort to future proof its networks.
“Our ambition is to provide the best and most reliable level of network coverage around the country for our customers,” Vodafone Ireland CEO Anne O’Leary said. “Upgrading our 3G network and our sites to 4G and 5G will futureproof our network for our customers all across Ireland.”
The telecoms firm said its decision will lead to a more sustainable and energy efficient network, along with increased levels of network performance and resilience. Last year, Vodafone Ireland reached a sustainability “landmark” when it announced that its operations were 100pc powered by electricity from renewable sources.
“3G provided an initial foundation to build out connectivity, the technology has now sufficiently developed to give our customers a faster and more sustainable mobile experience that lessens the impact on the environment,” O’Leary said.
O’Leary has overseen the nationwide roll-out of 4G and 5G during her time with Vodafone Ireland. Earlier this month, it was announced that O’Leary is leaving Vodafone to join Meta in September, becoming the tech giant’s new vice-president of the mid-market business division for the EMEA region.
Vodafone first launched its commercial 5G service in Ireland in 2019, beginning in population centres Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. This followed a test network site at Dublin’s docklands that opened in November 2018.
Vodafone’s programme to upgrade its 3G network is due to begin in late 2022. O’Leary said they are communicating the transition as early as possible so customers can stay connected “while this transition takes place”.
Source: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/vodafone-ireland-3g