Vodafone and O2 announce agreement to accelerate UK 5G roll-out

Telecoms giants Vodafone and O2 have reached an agreement to share equipment on network sites to accelerate the national roll-out of 5G.

The networks have agreed to share 5G-ready equipment such as radio antennas in order to speed up the launch process of 5G and reach people across the country quicker.

Today’s agreement will also see Cornerstone, the 50:50 joint venture company that owns and manages the parties’ passive tower infrastructure, take an additional role in the deployment of both networks and look to capture further operational efficiencies.

In addition, Vodafone and O2 will proceed to explore potential monetisation options for Cornerstone.

Nick Jeffery, CEO of Vodafone UK, commented: “We’re driving our 5G roll-out forward with this agreement, and taking our customers, our business and the whole of the UK with us.

“Greater autonomy in major cities will allow us to accelerate deployment, and together with active network sharing, ensures that our customers will get super-fast 5G in even more places more quickly, using fewer masts.

“It demonstrates our commitment to further invest in our multi-billion pound network in the years to come - helping the UK become a digital pioneer.”

Mark Evans, CEO of O2 Telefónica UK, added: “This agreement will enable us to roll-out 5G faster and more efficiently, benefiting customers while delivering value for our business. It also importantly allows us to utilise the spectrum we acquired in the last auction very effectively.

“Today is an important step in demonstrating our commitment to invest for the future, with mobile connectivity one of the UK’s most powerful opportunities to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of British people.”