Vodafone has reinforced its promise to roll out 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology to rural Wales as part of its merger with Three UK.

The British telco said that the commitment follows new research from Vodafone which shows around half of premises in Wales rural constituencies are currently ‘5G not-spots.’

In November last year, Vodafone said it would close the digital divide between rural and urban areas in the UK after research found 46 per cent of rural deprived areas were classed as ‘5G not spots’ versus just 2.7 per cent of deprived urban communities.

Vodafone 5G and 5G SA are available in some areas in Wales including Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Vodafone said the merger with Three would offer the necessary sale to extend 5G technology in Wales.

Last month, the UK’s consumer watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that it will need to open an in-depth probe into the £15 billion merger.

The CMA said it would launch an investigation after the parent companies did not offer remedies to ease its competition concern.

Vodafone said that the launch of 5G could benefit Wales in several industries including healthcare, agriculture and education.

The telco went on to say that 5G could offer improvements to virtual classrooms applications and enable young people living in rural areas to access specialist teaching, while bringing the technology to rural Wales could allow farmers to use new innovations such as 5G-connected weather stations that could help them plan irrigation schedules and reduce water consumption.

“We know that access to connectivity is important for everyone, but this research reveals the extent to which rural Wales is experiencing digital exclusion, showing exactly why we need to accelerate the roll out of 5G infrastructure,” said Andrea Dona, chief network officer at Vodafone UK. “Through our proposed merger with Three UK, we would be able to help close the rural digital divide in Wales, helping these communities to take advantage of 5G and enjoy the same benefits it brings to their urban neighbours.”

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