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13th Mar 2019

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The UK’s first 5G train station

Vodafone has been testing 5G networks across Birmingham for a short while, and now, New Street Train Station is the first of its kind to benefit from 5G.

Next generation cellular connectivity has enabled The Mayor of West Midlands and passengers to enjoy 325Mbps download speeds at New Street trainstation concourse and other areas of the station using a 5G router supplying Wi-Fi driven 5G (emulated 5G) to non-5G handsets. The video below shows speeds of 325MB per second being achieved.

The network giant confirmed it will launch 5G in 19 locations: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Reading, Southampton, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Guildford, Newbury, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington and Wolverhampton towards the end of this year. Of course, you can’t buy a 5G smartphone yet but that won’t be too long in the distant future!

It’s a massive positive to see new technologies are supported by a digital communications strategy led via West Midlands Combined Authority.

“We are delighted to bring 5G to the West Midlands, giving businesses, residents and visitors fast and reliable connectivity even in exceptionally busy locations such as train stations and airports. 5G will enable new applications and experiences and support the development of connected cities and smart transport solutions. It will help businesses to implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT and robotics. We look forward to continuing to work with Andy Street and his team to deliver the vision of a more prosperous and digitally connected region” Anne Sheehan, Director of Vodafone Business