Manchester Airport Become The First In The UK To Offer 5G

Following a trial by Vodafone, Manchester Airport has become the first airport in the UK to offer 5G.

The new 5G ‘blast pod’ by Vodafone was on trial at Terminal One in Manchester Airport where passengers were given a free Entertainment Pass on streaming service NOW TV. According to the company, users were able to download content four times faster than with 4G.

Vodafone 5G masts are now in place at the airport, which forms part of the trials taking place across the city. Throughout the next few weeks, Vodafone will be running further trials with Snow Hill railway station in Birmingham as one of the key trial areas.

Nick Jeffery, CEO of Vodafone UK, said: “We all love to catch up on our favourite TV shows, play games or finish off some work when travelling. 5G, with its fast speeds and quick response times, will make that quick and easy, even in busy locations.

“We are proud to be the first provider to bring 5G to an airport and will be adding more major travel hotspots to our 5G network throughout the year.”

Brad Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Manchester Airport, added: “We are delighted to support Vodafone’s 5G trial at Manchester Airport. As we progress with the design and delivery of our £1bn transformation programme, we are constantly exploring how new innovations and technology can be applied to improve the airport experience.

“As a business with a strong presence in our surrounding community, Vodafone was a natural partner for a trial project like this and we look forward to collaborating with them again in the future.”

5G handsets are not yet available to customers, however, the Vodafone Gigacube device, a portable router that is 5G enabled, has been used for the trials.