Just as unprecedented UK temperatures hit new highs at the height of the holiday season, UK mobile operator Three UK has announced the switch on of next-generation 5G mobile connectivity in 86 new areas including rural and coastal locations across the UK like Dartmouth, Milford on Sea, Aberystwyth, Holywood and Irvine.
The new 5G deployments come just as the operator published the findings of a report from consultancy Development Economics showing that good connectivity is proven to be a boost for tourist businesses, with almost a quarter (24%) of people saying they would likely spend more when mobile phone reception is excellent due to the ability to read reviews and make bookings or online purchases. Two thirds of Brits say good network coverage is important while on holiday, whilst almost three-fifths (58%) of Brits who go on holiday would be less likely to choose accommodation with poor mobile phone network coverage, while just over two-fifths (42%) would decide not to visit a place to eat or activity for the same reason.
The study added that all told, good connectivity contributes to £3.4 billion per year in new revenue for British tourist businesses – a knock-on boost to the economy of £1.97 billion in gross value added (GVA). It also pinpointed North Devon, Torbay and Great Yarmouth as just some of the areas that see a particular benefit from tourists using their mobiles to plan and enjoy holidays. In 2019, the last pre-pandemic year on record, £28.4 million of visitor expenditure was ‘safeguarded’ by mobile in these places combined.
“Whether it’s a coastal trip to the seaside, a quiet cottage getaway, or a city break, there is an expectation from holidaymakers that they will be able to stay in touch with friends and family, make use of online review and booking platforms, and post about their trip on social media,” noted Three UK chief commercial officer Elaine Carey. “We are committed to playing our part to ensure we continue to provide excellent coverage for all. That’s why we’re investing £2 million every day in the network to rollout the UK’s fastest 5G network which now covers more than 56% of the UK’s population.”
The research comes as Three UK now has 3,200 5G sites and the company also revealed that it had been named the UK’s fastest 5G network in H1 by the Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data for Q1–Q2 2022 for the third time in a row with a Speed Score of 248.16 Mbps, 84.37% faster than the nearest competitor