Vodafone noted that the increased efficiency would be comparable to adding 5,400 full-time police officers focused on frontline duties and community presence
The deployment of 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks in the U.K. could significantly boost efficiency for police officers, potentially saving up to 11 million hours annually, equivalent to around seven additional working days per officer, according to a new modeling by WPI Strategy for Vodafone UK.
The report noted that the increased efficiency would be comparable to adding 5,400 full-time police officers focused on frontline duties and community presence.
The modeling showed that 5G-enhanced live streaming capabilities between police stations and courtrooms, backed by a secure and reliable network, could drastically cut down on time spent traveling to and from court, allowing officers to stay more actively engaged in their communities. Vodafone’s existing Live Link service, which enables officers to remain accessible remotely while staying on patrol, could be expanded throughout the police force with a nationwide 5G network, freeing up critical time and resources for direct community involvement, it added.
These gains in efficiency could mean that the average officer would save around seven days annually, or roughly 17 minutes per day. On a broader scale, this would translate to an additional eight police officers per 100,000 residents, freeing up the equivalent of 44 full-time officers’ time in a city like Manchester, or 13 in smaller towns such as Slough, according to the report.
Additionally, statements taken via phone or laptop could be instantly uploaded, securely shared with control rooms, and stored for future investigations or court proceedings. This immediate access to evidence would streamline case reviews, enhance data security, and reduce the need for victims and vulnerable witnesses to repeatedly recount traumatic experiences, said Vodafone UK.
Andrea Donà, chief network officer at Vodafone UK, said: “We know our emergency services are facing enormous challenges, and the government is making great strides to support them to ‘Take Back Our Streets’ – specifically by allocating funding to increase frontline policing across the country.”
“A nationwide 5G SA network, paired with greater use of technology in the police service, could help deliver this mission – substantially reducing time pressures and driving efficiencies to get our officers back in the heart of their community,” the executive added.
Last year, Vodafone UK, which is owned by Vodafone Group and Three UK, owned by CK Hutchison Holdings, 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%.
Earlier this month, The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that a multi-billion-pound commitment to upgrade the network of the new entity resulting from the merger of local carriers Vodafone and Three UK across the country, including the rollout of 5G, combined with short-term customer protections could solve competition concerns identified by the regulator in September and allow the merger to go ahead.
The CMA also found that short term protections would be needed to ensure that retail consumers and mobile virtual network operators can continue to secure good deals during the initial years of network integration and investment rollout.
CMA also noted that this announcement is provisional, with a final decision due before the December 7 statutory deadline.
