Three currently has 10.9 million subscribers in the U.K
U.K. operator Three announced that its 5G network covered 62% of the country’s population as of the end of June, an increase of 1 percentage point compared to the end of the first half of 2023.
In a release, the carrier said its 5G offering is now available in 656 locations across more than 4,900 sites nationwide. At the end of June 2023, the telco’s 5G offering reached 4,400 sites.
Three covers 99% of the U.K. outdoor population with its combined 3G and 4G network. The operator had previously announced that it would turn off its 3G network by the end of 2024 in a move that will allow the company to focus investments and spectrum resources on further improving 4G services, while rolling out 5G.
Three, part of the CK Hutchison Holdings, currently has 10.9 million subscribers in the U.K.
Three UK initially launched 5G services in the U.K. in August 2019, with the initial offering of a high-speed 5G broadband service in parts of London. Some of the cities currently covered by Three U.K.’s 5G network include Aberdeen, Bath, Bedford, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Luton, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Reading, Swansea, York and Wigan.
Last year, Vodafone UK and Three UK had announced a new joint venture agreement that would bring their operations under a single network provider. Under the terms of the proposed merger, Vodafone will own 51% of the new entity while Hutchison Group will own 49%.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched the initial phase of an antitrust investigation in January after the entity was notified by the two carriers about the proposed merger. This initial review is designed to identify whether the deal may lead to a “substantial lessening of competition” and therefore requires an in-depth, phase 2 investigation. Phase 2 investigations, which started in April, allow an independent panel of experts to probe in more depth initial concerns identified at phase 1, the CMA explained.
The CMA previously stated that it has concerns that the deal could lead to mobile customers facing higher prices and reduced quality.
In May, the U.K government released a “publication of notice of Final Order” that provisionally approves the merger, subject to certain conditions.
“Our merger with Vodafone will unlock £11 billion ($14.1 billion) worth of investment in digital infrastructure, creating a best-in-class 5G network for the UK and helping to grow the UK economy,” said Robert Finnegan, Chief Executive Officer of Three UK,” said Robert Finnegan, CEO of Three UK
The four mobile network operators in the U.K. are Vodafone, Three, BT/EE and Virgin Media O2.
