VodafoneThree joins the slicing set with SuperMobile launch

• UK operator’s new service, Vodafone SuperMobile, offers customers a dedicated 5G+ slice
• Operator guarantees minimum speeds of 15Mbit/s on priority service, claiming it is the first operator to do so
• VodafoneThree has also launched a new IPTV offering

UK telco VodafoneThree has launched a number of new services including a commercial 5G+ network slice offering dubbed SuperMobile, which gives consumer and business customers up to 4x faster speeds than on normal plans and a minimum speed guarantee, as well as a new IPTV offering.

The Vodafone SuperMobile announcement came less than two weeks after BT’s consumer mobile division, EE, launched its Fast Lane dedicated network slice service, highlighting an increased focus on network prioritisation services from UK operators and the start of a new phase of competition (the UK’s other main mobile operator, Virgin Media O2, will surely join the fray shortly). 

With its launch, VodafoneThree has upped the slicing service ante, as it is claiming a competitive edge with what it says is a world-first feature. 

Vodafone SuperMobile, a service enabled by the operator’s 5G standalone (5G+) core platform, will allow eligible customers to choose enhanced network performance for activities such as streaming, live TV, gaming and immersive technologies, such as virtual reality, even when the network is facing high usage and congestion.

The launch of SuperMobile marks a shift away from Vodafone’s neutral approach to connectivity throughput, with the operator promising that those customers signed up to the service will have access to speeds up to four times faster than those on its standard plans. 

And here’s the competitive differentiator: It also guarantees minimum speeds of 15Mbit/s, enabled by combination of slicing and prioritisation core platform applications that the operator calls 5G+ FastTrack. If Vodafone fails to meet this minimum goal, customers will be allowed to leave their agreement without a fee, it said in its announcement, claiming that it is “the first and only mobile network operator globally to guarantee a minimum download speed of 15Mbit/s”.  

SuperMobile also comes with advanced security features, such as 5G+ encryption and Secure Net Mobile, which protect against malware and viruses, as well as scam calls and identity protection.

Vodafone SuperMobile is being made available for £3 per month more for customers on its full-speed Xtra plans, £8 more on SIM-only 100Mbit/s plans, £4 more on handset 100Mbit/s plans, and as a rolling monthly add-on, it costs £12 per month. The service will also be made available for small business accounts, with up to nine employees, and larger enterprises.

Max Taylor, CEO at VodafoneThree, stated: “Vodafone SuperMobile is tangible evidence of what the Vodafone and Three merger makes possible: Better connectivity and real choice for customers. The UK needs to go faster, and with the country’s largest, best spectrum holding and our £11bn investment, we will build a faster, higher-quality network than anyone else.   SuperMobile is super-fast, super-reliable and super-secure. Ideal for consumers watching content on the go, AI applications or businesses looking to benefit from digital transformation.”

The operator also announced Vodafone SuperMobile for Business, which is an enterprise-grade mobile connectivity portfolio leveraging the operator’s 5G+ network slice. It includes National Business Slice, which gives organisations dedicated capacity on the VodafoneThree network, and speeds up to 4x faster than those on its standard service. Vodafone also said it will launch a critical slice service for blue light organisations and critical public services at some point in 2027. 

Vodafone TV

Alongside SuperMobile, Vodafone also took the wraps off its new entertainment hub Vodafone TV, which offers live and on demand TV, streaming, gaming, music and a range of content apps through a single plug-in hub. The hub comes with 4K picture quality, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos built in, and has access to streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Max, as well as apps through the Google Play Store. Through UK television service Freely, Vodafone customers will be able to access more than 70 live TV channels and will be able to rent or buy films through Vodafone Box Office.

The service, which is set to launch in October, will be made available for Vodafone broadband or mobile plan customers on their mobile devices through a companion app. 

Rob Winterschladen, consumer director at VodafoneThree, said: “We’ve made it simple to find and discover content through smart AI voice search and personalised recommendations linked to a user’s profile. And with our companion app, the experience is with you wherever you go. With brilliant content partnerships, including HBO Max, Netflix and Freely built in – that’s how entertainment should be done.”

What about those not-spots?

The announcements come a little over a year after Vodafone UK completed its £16.5bn merger with Three UK, and shortly after Vodafone Group gained full ownership of VodafoneThree, buying out partner CK Hutchison.

In announcing the new offering, VodafoneThree said it was “delivering on” its £11bn network investment plan, which includes a pledge to deliver 5G standalone/5G+ coverage to 99% of the UK population by 2030, and “every corner of the UK” by 2034. By the end of 2025, the operator claimed to have eliminated 16,500km of mobile not-spots across the country and boosted its 5G speeds significantly.

But despite UK operators focusing on network prioritisation, and the monetisation opportunities that come with it, there has been some criticism in recent months over a lack of coverage and not-spots, especially in London.

In June, shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat claimed the signal in London is “worse than [it was in] Kabul” 10 years ago, when the former Tory MP served in the British army. He made headlines after using social media to attack the UK’s three infrastructure-based mobile operators, saying they have “no incentive to improve”.

“I’m in Dulwich. One of the more expensive areas of London, supposedly a global city, and I’m getting worse mobile phone reception than I did in Kabul a decade ago,” Tugendhat posted. “I pay for two contracts: O2 and EE and neither is reliable so I can’t work.”

London has scored poorly on the international stage when it comes to mobile connectivity. A 5G benchmarking report published by MedUX just over a year ago ranked London last out of 15 European cities in which it measured 5G quality of experience. The analyst firm described London as having “subpar 5G availability and slow speeds”.

Operators have cited the need for the UK to overhaul planning laws to make the rollout of new infrastructure much easier and more affordable, but with both VodafoneThree and EE now offering prioritised services, and the former even including a minimum speed guarantee, the question remains as to how the new service launches might impact coverage going forward.

- James Pearce, Editor, TelecomTV