Vodafone New Zealand recently announced it will be the first telecommunications company to launch an Intelligent Digital Human in cooperation with a Kiwi company, FaceMe. While the identity of the Digital Human should be revealed within the next two months, it is already clear that the AI-based assistant will be of great benefit in improving the self-service experience for Vodafone’s customers, and allow staff to devote time working with more complex customer demands. “Great customer experience happens through meaningful conversations. FaceMe has evolved AI technology to create Intelligent Digital Humans that are human-like in their appearance and interaction. Thanks to machine learning, they are capable of continuously learning how to anticipate our customers’ needs and better serve them,” explained Vodafone’s director of Customer Operations, Helen van Orton. Orton emphasized that this initiative is not a replacement for front-line customer service, but will rather aid in maximizing staff…
Vodafone India and Idea Cellular have finally completed their $23 billion merger after the National Company Law Tribunal approved their request to join forces in becoming the number one telecom service provider in India. The new entity will be listed as Vodafone Idea Ltd and will have a base of over 400 million subscribers (35% subscriber market share and 32,2% of the market revenue share), surpassing the long-time market leader Bahrati Airtel. The rival that aroused the idea for the merger with its successful entry into the market, Reliance Jio, is left in third place. “Today, we have created India’s leading telecom operator. It is truly a historic moment. And this is much more than just about creating a large business. It is about our Vision of empowering and enabling a New India and meeting the aspirations of the youth of our country,” commented the chairman of the new board…
While the IoT market continues to grow, Vadofone has announced the launch of two new consumer IoT products in their V by Vodafone range – V-SOS Band by Vodafone and V-Kids Watch by Vodafone. Last November, the telecom giant made its move into the consumer IoT market with their new range of devices called V by Vodafone. The initial launch focused on four products from different categories: V-Auto by Vodafone, V-Pet by Vodafone, V-Camera by Vodafone and V-Bag by Vodafone, all easily managed via their V by Vodafone App. The newest additions to the group are human wearable devices aimed to assist people with mobility issues, and to help children develop their independence in a secure manner. The V-SOS Band by Vodafone is described as an emergency alert wristband, that enables the wearer to send an SOS signal to up to four contacts simply by pressing a button for three…
The mobile operator, Vodafone Ukraine, intends to launch their 4G network for the 1800 MHz band on 1 July, 2018. The expansion of the 1800 MHz band network will allow Vodafone to cover a wider territory, enabling access for millions of Ukrainians to 4G mobile Internet. This fourth generation service will be available in 50 settlements across 10 main regions of Ukraine: Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, Mikolayiv, Poltava, Sumi, Kirovograd and Kherson. Besides the advantage of wider coverage, Vodafone is excited about the higher speed, improved connection stability and faster network response times for their mobile users. The other two major Ukrainian operators, LifeCell and Kyivstar, who won the 1800 MHz 4G LTE mobile license along with Vodafone at an auction held this March, will also be introducing similar services in early July.
5G will be available for trial in seven cities across the UK. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and London were selected to run the tests on the upcoming network. Those new infrastructures will be running the new 5G at the end of 2018 between October and December. Earlier this year, Vodafone paid £378 million, to get 50Mhz of the 3.4GHz spectrum. Nick Jeffery, Vodafone’s chief executive stated, “We want to make 5G and new fibre broadband services available to consumers and business throughout the UK, delivering a Gigabit society for all. We will also be bringing ultra-fast 4G to several hundred sites in hard to reach rural areas this year, building on our position as the network that offers the best voice coverage in the UK.” Vodafone’s goal is to launch a full 5G service in the UK by 2020, when 5G devices will be available on the market.
O2 has partnered with Freshwave to install small cells in St Ives and Newquay, boosting mobile coverage at popular tourist spots. The move supports Cornwall’s residents and visitors ahead of the busy summer season, forming part of O2’s wider £700 million network investment plan and Freshwave’s national infrastructure projects.
GIC has acquired a 25 percent stake in a major fibre network joint venture between Vodafone Spain and MásOrange. The venture, named Surf, aims to cover 12.2 million premises, making it Spain’s largest fibre network operator.
Virgin Media O2 is expanding its small cell network to Bristol in partnership with Ontix. The initiative, part of a £700 million plan, boosts 4G and 5G capacity in crowded urban areas. Recent spectrum acquisitions from Vodafone will strengthen coverage and support key partnerships.
Ofcom has cut mobile spectrum fees by 26% in key bands, saving operators around £60 million annually. Its latest Mobile Matters report shows 5G now makes up 28% of connections, with EE leading in 5G users and Three offering top speeds.
The Shared Rural Network (SRN) is revolutionizing rural connectivity in Wales by unleashing 30 government-funded 4G mast upgrades. Enhancing mobile connectivity in areas like Llangernyw and Eryri National Park, the SRN empowers local businesses and residents.