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[meritez]

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/uk-3g-switch-off-from-june-2023/

The switch off allows 3G radio frequencies to be used for faster, more efficient 4G and 5G services.
2G will remain for calls and texts with services such as Voice over 4G and WiFi Calling also available.
Vodafone is providing extra support to vulnerable customers through communications campaigns and its new Digital Skills Helpline.

The national shutdown will happen in phases throughout the remainder of 2023, starting in June with Hull, Oxford and Greater London before progressing across the South. The remainder of the UK will follow later in the year.

[tonygibbs16]

That means that in my home in a valley, I will not get any in-building coverage if my WiFi goes down.

Hopefully, it will allow Vodafone to work on the 4G in-building coverage, as I often get 4G outside.

Cheers,
    Tony

[meritez]

Vodafone are rapidly deploying 4G B8 900Mhz to replace 900Mhz 3G, cellmapper is showing lots of updates.

[highpriest]

That means that in my home in a valley, I will not get any in-building coverage if my WiFi goes down.

In a similar situation here. I get a weak 4G signal upstairs but downstairs it is only 3G currently. Will probably get left behind as usual.

[Alex Atkin UK]

In a similar situation here. I get a weak 4G signal upstairs but downstairs it is only 3G currently. Will probably get left behind as usual.

Surely if they re-use that 3G frequency with 4G then that would very much improve your situation?  Would make no sense to turn it off an the mast and not re-use it, given they've paid for the license for it.

[highpriest]

Surely if they re-use that 3G frequency with 4G then that would very much improve your situation?  Would make no sense to turn it off an the mast and not re-use it, given they've paid for the license for it.

That's the hope anyway. But knowing Vodafone's track record here, nothing will surprise me anymore.

[Alex Atkin UK]

That's the hope anyway. But knowing Vodafone's track record here, nothing will surprise me anymore.

Its hilarious here, they added 5G to my local tower and its more-or-less identical in performance to 4G.

In comparison when Three added it, the speed suddenly was 5x what Vodafone can do (and the Vodafone mast is much closer to me, only about 100m away).  Are Voda really that short on spectrum?

That said, O2 still have no 5G here at all, the only network to not do so now. (though EE is apparently not a good signal so probably unusable indoors)

[meritez]

Three have 140 Mhz of 3500 Mhz spectrum.
Vodafone have 40 Mhz, due to double to 90 Mhz
O2 have 40 Mhz due to double to 80 Mhz

Vodafone and O2 had to trade spectrum:
https://twitter.com/PedroClarke1/status/1616359241715191812

https://the-mobile-network.com/2021/04/uk-operators-trade-5g-midband-spectrum/

So Vodafone and O2 have done a deal. Vodafone will give up its 40MHz in the grey area of 3720-3760Mz and hand that to O2. That will give O2 an unbroken 80MHz in that part of the band, running from 3720-3800MHz.

Meanwhile, Telefonica will give Vodafone its “green” 40MHz between 3500-3540MHz. That now gives Vodafone two blocks of 50MHz and 40Mhz, separated by the 40MHz that belong to Three.

[Alex Atkin UK]

The next sentence I think is more key here:

TMN understands that means that it can span the two bands from its existing 5G radios, rather than having to deploy new equipment to take in the new band. In essence, that’s the benefit of contiguous spectrum – being able to deploy in a band from the same radio. Most modern 5G radio units have an OBW (Occupied Bandwidth) of 200MHz, effectively the range that a unit can operate within.

Seems like it wasn't so much that they didn't have the spectrum, its that they were too far apart to use both on the same radio.

Have you found a chart that includes the 3G and 4G spectrum they can also potentially re-allocate?

[meritez]

@Alex:

https://pedroc.co.uk/

Probably somewhere on the Pedroc website, not looked in detail.

[Alex Atkin UK]

@Alex:

https://pedroc.co.uk/

Probably somewhere on the Pedroc website, not looked in detail.

Thanks, looking at https://pedroc.co.uk/content/uk-commercial-mobile-spectrum but its not exactly "radiio spectrum for dummies".