The battle for 5G is on between Vodafone and EE says the industry analysts
Vodafone has sent out a
statement to its rivals with its 5G launch, according to industry
figures.
The operator launched
its 5G network on July 3 at its Reinvent conference at the Sky Garden
in London, with Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton switching the
service on.
During the launch,
Vodafone announced three unlimited data plans named Unlimited Lite,
Unlimited and Unlimited Max.
Vodafone also committed
to not charging a premium for the service, something that rival EE
has imposed.
IDC research manager
Marta Pinto hailed the strategy as a “comprehensive statement” by
the operator for both businesses and consumers.
“The strategy of
using the ‘Unlimited’ brand was a clever one,” she said. “The
offering announced
by Vodafone is
comprehensive and targets all audiences.
“Vodafone has focused
on making sure there is no surcharge on 5G bundles and shows the
operator wants to bring consumers and businesses on board its 5G
services as soon as possible.”
PP Foresight
technology, media and telco analyst Paolo Pescatore has said the
battle is now on between Vodafone and EE for 5G supremacy.
“The scale of
Vodafone’s ambitions should not be underestimated. Let the battle
commence: the company is looking to go toe-to-toe with EE with this
offer.
“Despite the euphoria
surrounding 5G, I don’t expect the market to see a boost until
Apple releases its first 5G device.”
Vodafone’s UK
partners also believe the operator has the potential to take control
in the 5G battle.
Olive Communications
CEO Martin Flick has likened the launch to the “awakening of a
sleeping giant”, with iData managing director James Wilson claiming
it is a “huge comeback” for Vodafone.”