Ericsson and VodafoneThree Complete World-First 4G and 5G Network Upgrade

Ericsson  and VodafoneThree  have announced the completion of a world-first network upgrade, successfully unifying core-level sharing through Ericsson’s deployment of ‘Multi-Operator Core Network’ (MOCN) technology with VodafoneThree’s existing ‘Multi-Operator Radio Access Network’ (MORAN) infrastructure over a multi-vendor 4G and 5G network.

By integrating these technologies on more than 10,000 sites across the UK, up to 28.6 million Vodafone and Three customers are automatically connecting to the best available coverage – whether that’s on the Vodafone or Three network. In one of the first major benefits to subscribers following the Vodafone and Three merger, millions of customers are now experiencing higher speeds for everyday browsing and streaming, as well as improved coverage and reliability when using 4G and 5G.

As outlined in a recent whitepaper published by Ericsson, this milestone marks the first time any operator has integrated core and radio sharing at a national scale over a multi-vendor environment. Ericsson was VodafoneThree’s lead partner in the technology design and deployment, enabling the two networks to operate as a shared resource while maintaining separate cores – a pragmatic, phased approach that delivered immediate customer-visible improvements while building the foundation for long-term network optimization and 5G Standalone evolution. The result is a single, intelligently orchestrated platform that delivers measurable improvements in performance, reliability and efficiency – setting a new industry benchmark that operators and partners in other markets are already looking to model for future large-scale network integration.

Working closely with VodafoneThree, Ericsson applied a disciplined, two-phase MOCN strategy: first rapidly activating shared capabilities across priority sites using existing hardware to unlock immediate coverage and capacity gains; and second, progressively consolidating spectrum and upgrading sites to optimize performance. Rigorous lab and field validation, KPI-driven release gates, automated rollback protocols, and cross-functional governance across radio, core, transport and operations ensured performance gains were delivered safely and consistently at scale.

As part of this milestone, VodafoneThree has also unlocked the benefits of shared C-band spectrum across sites nationwide with up to 50 million people—around 71 percent of the UK population—now able to access the VodafoneThree network’s fastest 5G speeds. With more C-band spectrum than any other mobile network operator in the UK, VodafoneThree can deploy it at scale, ensuring more people in more places experience the full benefits of its fastest 5G. By combining spectrum assets at scale, the VodafoneThree network delivers what matters most to customers – increased capacity with faster speeds, over a wider area.

C-band spectrum refers to mid-band spectrum around 3.4-3.8 GHz, providing a strong balance between coverage and capacity, helping to bring a high performance 5G experience to more people in towns, cities, and business environments. For individuals, this part of the network is powerful enough to support things like high-definition streaming, video calls and gaming. For businesses, it is ideal for applications that need high throughput and low latency, such as IoT, real-time monitoring, smart devices, and connected technologies.

In these areas, customer benefits include:

• Dynamic access to the best coverage: Vodafone and Three customers are automatically using each other’s network, getting the best available coverage. This seamless transition improves speeds, enhances reliability and crucially, requires no action from the user.
• Eliminating 4G not spots: By providing 4G coverage to areas of the UK where it wasn’t previously available to either brand’s customers, VodafoneThree has removed 16,500km² of not spots, an area ten times the size of London.
• Enhanced 5G coverage: Up to 50 million people, around 71 percent of the UK population, now have access to VodafoneThree’s fastest 5G speeds, thanks to bringing the networks together and an accelerated 5G roll out plan.
• Reliability and resilience: Busy times, such as rush hour, put a strain on the network, as sites can be flooded with more customers than they can provide a good quality service to. Thanks to this technology, customers will be moved from a busy site to one that is able to provide the required level of performance. This reduces congestion, improving performance for affected users and providing a better experience for all customers.
• Improved coverage for high-footfall venues: Strategic coverage, including tactical deployment on temporary sites, indoor solutions and upgrades at high-footfall venues such as stadiums, airports and event spaces, ensure service levels remain strong during spikes in demand.

The latest improvements form part of VodafoneThree’s first phase of network integration, laying the foundations for a more robust, efficient and higher-performing network for millions of customers. The combination of successfully unifying core and radio network sharing over a multi-vendor 4G and 5G network along with the integration of C-band spectrum across the UK ensures that VodafoneThree is delivering the best quality coverage, with faster speeds, greater capacity and a more reliable customer experience in more places.

“This world-first network upgrade shows how VodafoneThree is using cutting-edge technology to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure. By unifying core and radio sharing at a national level, while also introducing intelligent orchestration and dynamic capacity management, we’re setting a new benchmark for network performance. This upgrade means customers are already experiencing improved reliability and coverage and as well as access to our fastest 5G speeds today, but this is just the beginning. As we continue rolling out upgrades through our 11 billion GBP investment, customers can expect even better performance, with even faster speeds.”

– Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer, VodafoneThree

“This milestone with VodafoneThree is a testament to what disciplined engineering and close collaboration can achieve at national scale. Deploying MOCN technology across a live, multi-vendor 4G and 5G network at this scale was a world-first – and a genuinely complex engineering challenge that Ericsson was proud to lead. The result speaks for itself, with millions of customers experiencing better coverage, faster speeds and greater reliability. We’re proud to be working with VodafoneThree as a strategic build partner on this journey, and this is just the beginning of what we’ll deliver together.”

– Luca Orsini, Head, Ericsson North Europe

In September 2025, VodafoneThree announced Ericsson as a key strategic build partner in the delivery of its network investment. Through this partnership, VodafoneThree is deploying Ericsson’s next-generation, high-performing Radio Access Network (RAN) and core network solutions across the UK, as well as modernizing existing 4G and 5G infrastructure. Ericsson’s new lineup of high power radios—Radio 4464, Radio 4488 and AIR 3266—will be instrumental in enabling VodafoneThree to deliver the expected coverage, performance and capacity, while significantly reducing total network energy consumption as well as site and CO₂ footprint.

This milestone forms part of VodafoneThree’s 11 billion GBP investment program to build the UK’s best network, connecting every community across all four nations. Through this long‑term investment, VodafoneThree will bring 5G Standalone coverage to 99 percent of the population by 2030, and 99.96 percent by 2034 – delivering resilient, high‑quality digital infrastructure needed to support businesses, boost local economies, and power the country’s future growth.