Ericsson to Power VodafoneThree 5G UK Network

Ericsson has signed an eight-year, US$12.5bn agreement with VodafoneThree to power the majority of the operator’s next-generation mobile network, including the entire nationwide core. The partnership represents one of the most significant network consolidation initiatives in Europe and positions Ericsson as VodafoneThree’s primary vendor for both radio and core infrastructure.

As part of the agreement, Ericsson 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology will form the foundation of VodafoneThree’s upgraded network, enabling the CSP to serve its 29 million mobile broadband customers with greater speed, resilience and programmability.

Ericsson’s role in the partnership includes exclusive radio and core coverage across the four UK capital cities: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Beyond the capitals, Ericsson technology will be deployed in key regional hubs including Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Aberdeen, Hull and Bournemouth.

VodafoneThree aims to achieve 99.95% 5G SA population coverage across the UK by 2034, with initial deployments set to begin shortly.

Building a trusted, high-performing network

For Ericsson, the agreement illustrates the critical importance of high-performing, programmable networks in enabling the digital economy. 

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, commented:

“Trusted high-performing programmable networks are critical to success in the digital economy. AI, automation and virtual/augmented reality won’t reach their potential without them.

"We are proud to partner with VodafoneThree as their primary vendor to power them with the most advanced programmable network products, software and solutions in the world.”

The deployment of Ericsson 5G SA capabilities aims to create differentiated opportunities for UK enterprise and industry digitalisation, supporting applications in AI, automation and immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality.

VodafoneThree’s strategic ambition

The partnership aligns with VodafoneThree’s ambition to deliver the UK’s most resilient and advanced network. Max Taylor, CEO of VodafoneThree, stated:

“We said we would deliver at pace and, just a few months in, we are delighted to be working with trusted strategic partners such as Ericsson, to deliver our ambition of building the UK’s best network.

"They bring the scale and expertise needed to accelerate the delivery of a resilient, secure, world-class and future-ready network and together, we are laying the foundations for the UK’s digital future.”

The collaboration highlights VodafoneThree’s strategic approach of working with global vendors that can deliver scale, technical expertise and long-term innovation capacity.

Product and solution deployment

The agreement encompasses a wide range of Ericsson products and solutions:

These capabilities will enable VodafoneThree to handle rapid growth in data traffic, improve network efficiency and support a broader range of enterprise use cases.

Proven global leadership

Ericsson brings extensive global expertise to the partnership, with its RAN, cloud-native and dual-mode 5G Core technologies currently powering 187 5G networks in 78 countries and 42 of the world’s 70+ live 5G SA networks. The track record demonstrates the reliability and scalability of the vendor’s solutions.

The partnership between Ericsson and VodafoneThree represents a pivotal step in the modernisation of the UK’s telecom infrastructure.

By combining Ericsson’s global technology leadership with VodafoneThree’s nationwide footprint, the deal promises to deliver a resilient, energy-efficient and programmable network capable of supporting the UK’s digital future.

For telecommunications stakeholders, the collaboration illustrates how strategic vendor partnerships can accelerate network transformation while enabling new business models across consumer, enterprise and industrial domains.