Vodafone : pulls out all the stops for Reading Station and beyond

Vodafone UK has announced the installation of superfast 4G at Reading train station, which welcomes about 20 million passengers a year, to ensure that Vodafone customers enjoy fast data speeds & reliable voice coverage. As a result of this upgrade, Reading station - the second busiest rail hub outside London - recently saw data speeds of up to 171Mbps (megabits per second).

The improvements are designed to meet the growing demand for high-speed data and reliable mobile access for staff, commuters and businesses. The upgrade forms part of an extended network improvement programme taking place across the town and surrounding area, which has made it one of the leading areas in the country for both network performance, data speeds and coverage.

Vodafone's 4G is now available to 99% of the town's population* while customers in nearby Tilehurst, Lower Earley, Sonning and Spencers Wood are also benefiting from the improved services, experiencing less dropped calls and faster call connection times. Meanwhile, Vodafone UK has brought faster 4G data and stronger voice coverage to Green Park to ensure Vodafone customers visiting or working at the business hub have faster and reliable mobile connectivity.

As a result, Vodafone customers in Reading are already using their mobile devices more than ever before to access the Internet, check social media, email and stream videos. The amount of 4G data traffic carried across Vodafone's network in the area has increased by almost 61% compared to this time last year.

At the heart of Vodafone's advanced 4G network in the town centre is a technology called carrier aggregation, which combines different bands of spectrum - those radio frequencies used to transmit mobile signals - to increase capacity and boost data speeds. In Reading, 75% of the town** can now enjoy either two-way or three-way carrier aggregation, meaning access to faster streaming of data such as HD videos. 4G Calling has also been introduced to the town*** enabling customers to make calls over their 4G data signal.

Ongoing investment across Vodafone's UK network also lays the foundations for 5G - the next generation mobile network expected to arrive over the next couple of years to coincide with compatible smartphones and devices.

Vodafone UK's CTO Scott Petty added: 'Reading is a key commercial centre and our customers deserve world-class mobile connectivity to match the town's growing economic importance and predicted population growth. We are committed to delivering the best possible connectivity across Reading, throughout Berkshire, as well as the wider country.'

Notes to editors:

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is part of Vodafone Group, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone Group has mobile operations in 25 countries, partners with mobile networks in 46 more, and has fixed broadband operations in 18 markets. As of 31 March 2018, Vodafone Group had 535.8 million mobile customers and 19.7 million fixed broadband customers, including India and all of the customers in Vodafone's joint ventures and associates. For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk

Vodafone UK partners with businesses of all sizes - from start-ups and small businesses to the largest corporates and the public sector. The company has worked with UK businesses for over 30 years, starting out as a mobile provider and becoming one of the UK's leading total communications partners. It provides a range of voice and data services, secure communications infrastructure, fixed and contact centre capability, and unified communications, and was the first mobile phone operator to offer a truly converged service for fixed and mobile.

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