‘Building the UK’s best network: delivering digital opportunity for every community’

SPONSORED

Digital connectivity now plays an enormous role in modern life and the UK economy. Think about how many people you know check their finances online, do their weekly shop via an app, or spend time talking to colleagues and customers remotely.

Yet, improving digital connectivity is not just about faster download speeds or more reliable calls.  Having the best digital infrastructure is about building the best foundation for a modern, thriving UK.

That is the Government’s own ambition. Its recent 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy and Industrial Strategy emphasise improving digital connectivity as being critical to accelerating economic growth and transforming public services.

Yet we risk falling behind. The UK already ranks last in the G7 for mobile data speeds, and 22nd out of 25 European countries for 5G availability. Without better digital infrastructure we risk hindering growth, innovation, and access to those improved public services created through greater digitalisation.

To build a more productive, fairer economy, we need an urgent step change.

Building the UK’s best network

That’s why VodafoneThree is stepping up. As a newly merged company, we’re entering a new era of connectivity. Over the next eight years, we will invest £11 billion – to build the UK’s most advanced 5G network – connecting every corner of the UK, delivering nationwide 5G coverage by 2034, reaching 90% of the UK’s landmass within three years.

It will make us one of the UK’s largest privately funded infrastructure projects, which will support up to 13,000 jobs. This investment is also a long-term economic opportunity: analysis by WPI Strategy has found that greater 5G use could create up to 778,000 new jobs across the economy and add between £205-411 billion of Gross Value Add (GVA) to the UK by 2035.

Unlocking Digital Opportunity for All

The national opportunities are enormous, but connectivity is also fundamental in allowing people and businesses to access tools and services that improve daily life. Whether booking a GP appointment, completing online training, applying for jobs, or starting a business, digital access underpins outcomes in four key areas: health, education, employment, and business growth.

To understand just how important this is to communities up and down the country, VodafoneThree commissioned WPI Strategy to assess how connectivity relates to the real-world outcomes across these four key areas. The analysis was clear: better digital connectivity goes hand-in-hand with stronger local outcomes.

We have taken this data and created an online map of every local authority and constituency in the UK to show what is happening on the ground.

Our research tells a national story of areas falling into one of three groups when it comes to digital opportunity:

• “Develop”: Over 1 in 10 (12%) of local communities are underperforming across key indicators and are not yet seeing the benefits of digital transformation. Without urgent action, these areas risk falling further behind. For example, Pendle in East Lancashire has a 7.4% unemployment rate, low SME formation, and a high proportion (24.8%) of residents without formal qualifications. While life satisfaction is high, better digital infrastructure and support could unlock new opportunities locally.
• “Build”: Over half (51%) of local areas are performing around the national average across the measures. Here, increased investment in digital transformation will help to unlock meaningful progress across these areas. One area we see this is in Powys in Wales, around 66.5% of the region is covered by 5G not-spots. Unemployment is low at 2.4%, as is the number of SMEs founded, and 18.9% of adults have no formal qualifications. Improving digital infrastructure is essential – but so is ensuring local people and services can take full advantage of it.
• “Optimise”: Over a third (37%) of local communities are generally doing well across our four key areas. They perform above average across most of the chosen indicators, yet there is scope to close gaps, support further digital growth, and to sustain the demand for online services. London demonstrates this well – despite being digitally advanced, borough-level gaps persist, highlighting the need to improve adoption and effective use.

Across the UK, disparities are stark. Over one in ten UK residents experience poor connectivity, particularly in Wales, Scotland and rural England. This means that different regions need different solutions. Some need infrastructure investment; others need help making the most of what they already have.

A partnership that will deliver

Alongside our planned investment, we need the support of partners across the UK to help us move from investment to delivery. That is why this afternoon we are co-hosting a cross-parliamentary event with Labour Digital, Sir Chris Bryant MP and Jess Asato MP. We want MPs to see how vital digital opportunity is in their local area – and how getting this right will changes lives.

At VodafoneThree, we believe in a truly inclusive digital UK. That means fixing poor connectivity, helping communities maximise infrastructure, and working with Government to ensure our network investment aligns with the UK’s social and economic renewal.

This isn’t just about faster browsing or more reliable calls. It’s about investing in every part of the UK, its businesses, its communities and its people, and providing the digital foundations for the UK’s growth ambitions.

Find out how VodafoneThree’s investment will be transformative in your area through this interactive link here.

For more information visit VodafoneThree.