The upgraded connectivity is part of the venue’s redevelopment, which includes transforming St Helen’s into an 8,000-capacity stadium and position the ground as among the most technologically advanced rugby venues in the UK.

Vodafone expects the new network to be fully operational by July. The intention is also to use St Helen as a research and development case where companies can trial devices, equipment, and digital technologies under real-world, high-performance conditions.

Vodafonehas already rolled out a 5G SA at Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road Stadium and completedr 4G and 5G upgrades at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wimbledon.

The private network will allow a range of advanced use cases across the venue such as immersive AR and VR fan features offering behind-the-scenes access and interactive player data, IoT-enabled ticketing, digital payments and smart wayfinding to reduce queues and enhance crowd flow and safety.

The rollout now covers more than 70 per cent of the population, reaching around 49 million people, and is available to customers at no additional cost with a 5G SA-compatible device and SIM.

Customers are expected to see improved reliability, higher speeds and lower latency compared to non-Standalone services, which still depend partly on 4G infrastructure.

Virgin Media O2 says its 5G SA network delivers at least 90 per cent outdoor coverage.

Virgin Media O2’s SA network is built on a cloud-based 5G core, that can support next-generation applications such as autonomous transport, remote healthcare and industrial automation. The operator launched SA for enterprise customers earlier this year.

Chief Technology Officer Jeanie York said Virgin Media O2 is investing around £2m a day in its network: “By expanding our 5G Standalone network to 500 towns and cities and 70 per cent of the population, we are future-proofing our network and paving the way for exciting customer-led innovations that lie ahead.”

The upgrades form part of Virgin Media O2’s £700m Mobile Transformation Plan for 2024. This includes wider 4G and 5G coverage, the deployment of small cells in dense areas, and targeted improvements on transport routes, at airports, and in stadiums.

Virgin Media O2 will acquire 78.8 MHz of spectrum from Vodafone UK, which will bring its total holdings to about a third of UK mobile spectrum.

BICS, an international connectivity and 5G enabler, has set up the first ever intercontinental 5G standalone (SA) roaming connection between two live networks in Europe and Asia.

The connection is the first of its kind to be carried out in a non-lab environment, and it showcased roaming between Belgian mobile operator Proximus’ 5G SA network and the Middle-East based digital solutions and telecommunications stc Kuwait’s 5G SA network.

Geert Standaert, Chief Technology Officer at Proximus, the parent company of BICS, said: “The roaming test represents a huge watershed moment for Proximus in our 5G roll-out. Our goal is to bring next-generation experiences to our customers. 

“5G roaming plays a major role in delivering on that promise. We are excited to have reached this stage through our partnership with stc and BICS, and now look ahead to rolling out the opportunities of 5G Standalone for the benefits of our customers and enterprises alike.”

Mohammed N. Al-Nusif, Chief Executive Officer of solutions by stc, added: “While this breakthrough is significant for the industry as a whole, it is also great news for stc’s customers. This new roaming connection with BICS and Proximus means it is now the first to offer 5G roaming spanning the widest coverage area across the world.

“It’s going to bring stc customers exceptional connectivity at high-data speeds and offer them the same 4G and 5G data plans at no additional costs when abroad.”

Paving the way for 5G

BICS continues to drive 5G adoption as last year it announced the first successful 5G lab trial, as well as borderless 5G connectivity to its IoT SIM card solution. 

Mikaël Schachne, VP Telco Market at BICS, commented: “Until now, operators around the world have only been delivering 5G Non-standalone (NSA) roaming that routes traffic through 4G/LTE core. This is the first time anyone has ever carried out a successful live connection across borders using 5G Standalone. 

“By establishing 5G SA roaming, we’ve broken down the barriers to bring the power of this technology to international communications. This is an important step for the industry, and accelerates the benefits of 5G to potential consumers and enterprises around the world.”