The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has opened Vodafone UK’s new digital hub.
The Speechmark in London, has undergone a £6.5m refurbishment and now houses a 1000-strong consumer, digital, and tech workforce.
A new partnership with Transport for London (TfL), also announced today, makes Vodafone the first operator in the UK to agree to pilot wireless connectivity in tunnels and at station platforms on the eastern end of the Jubilee line.
Customers will be able to connect their devices to Vodafone’s 4G network from spring and will have the potential for 5G connectivity in the future.
Southwark, the location of the new hub, is one area of London where Vodafone’s network supports 5G coverage.
Since rolling out 5G earlier this year, the firm said it has 5G in more places than any other operator, with 77 towns and cities now live across the UK and Europe.
“London is on track to become the world’s leading smart city, and the move to 5G has the potential to make the capital a global trailblazer in civic innovation,” said Khan.
“By working with providers like Vodafone we can develop the best technologies that will boost our economy and meet the needs of Londoners, radically improving how we live and work.”
During the opening ceremony at The Speechmark, Mayor Sadiq Khan was shown an interactive smart city model of London. The model, built by Vodafone in association with Bright Bricks shows how 5G deployment, partnered with the Internet of Things could safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of citizens.