A new study, released by Vodafone, shows an appetite for investment in advanced 5G services with 39% of UK companies ready to invest in 5G Standalone.

According to the survey of 462 business customers across the UK, 89% of firms are looking to technology to improve the operational efficiency of their business, with 93% highlighting reliable data connections as critical to success.

The research also showed that 38% of businesses believe a network that can be customised to fit specific needs would help growth, while 24% said a lack of services tailored to their organisation’s needs is negatively impacting their business today.

A majority of customers (86%) said  that the rollout of 5G Standalone was either important or extremely important to their business, with 46% believing 5G Standalone would offer them a competitive advantage within three years by enabling innovation.

Meanwhile, 83% said they would increase 5G investments once advanced capabilities are available.

Currently, the UK’s 5G service, available since 2019, is known as 5G Non-standalone. That’s because some of the network has been upgraded, but other parts still rely on 4G infrastructure. 

According to Vodafone, a 5G Standalone network could offer a longer battery life for devices using smaller bandwidths, allow for better connectivity service in busy areas by more efficiently using radio waves, and provide a more reliable service with faster upload and download speeds.

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Among the most notable benefits of switching to 5G Standalone could be the use of new ‘network slicing’ features. This service would allow mobile operators to create multiple virtual network slices operating in the same physical network. Each slice is isolated from other network traffic to give dedicated and guaranteed performance, and can be tailored to specific use. 

Network slicing has already been used at some of the UK’s biggest events. At this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Vodafone provided a slice for payment terminals to protect transactions from being delayed, and used it for the coronation of Charles III to prevent broadcasts being interrupted by the large crowds. 

Vodafone UK’s business director, Nick Gliddon, said: “We launched the UK’s first 5G Standalone network in 2023. But to bring the benefits to everyone, we need consolidation – we cannot avoid a digital divide without it.

“Our proposed merger with Three UK is good for customers, good for competition and good for the country. It will deliver much needed scale, better enabling us to deliver the benefits of 5G Ultra to all customers, regardless of where they live.”