Birmingham New Street 5G

Birmingham New Street becomes the first UK train station to live test 5G mobile technology.

21:59 15 April 2019

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, has tested 5G mobile technology on the New Street concourse to determine how it can be used to improve services and stay ahead of the competition. Passengers at the station were also invited to test 5G speeds using a 5G router.

 

 

 

Mayor Street, said: “I am delighted that Vodafone has brought 5G to Birmingham and that New Street is the UK’s first 5G-enabled rail station. I believe the West Midlands 5G project will enable our public transport, businesses, hospitals and universities to explore new services and stay ahead of their competition.”

 

 

 

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “The West Midlands wants to lead the way in 5G and this is an exciting step forward. 5G will help us supercharge the West Midlands economy; and the possibilities for businesses, individuals, investors and innovators are huge.”

 

 

 

Vodafone is also testing 5G at a number of sites across the city using its single optical fibre converged network.

 

 

 

Anne Sheehan, Director of Vodafone Business, said: “We are delighted to bring 5G to the West Midlands, giving businesses, residents and visitors fast and reliable connectivity even in exceptionally busy locations such as train stations and airports. 5G will enable new applications and experiences and support the development of connected cities and smart transport solutions. It will help businesses to implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT and robotics. We look forward to continuing to work with Andy Street and his team to deliver the vision of a more prosperous and digitally-connected region.”