Vodafone UK
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Telecommunication |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Newbury, Berkshire, England |
|
Area served
|
United Kingdom |
|
Key people
|
Nick Jeffery (CEO) |
| Services |
Telecommunications Internet service provider |
| Parent | Vodafone Group plc |
| Website | www |
Vodafone UK is a provider of telecommunications services in the United Kingdom, and a part of the Vodafone Group, the world's second-largest mobile phone company. As of September 2016, Vodafone UK has 18.01 million subscribers and is the third largest mobile telecommunications network nationally after EE and O2.
In 1981, Racal Electronics Group won its bid for the private sector UK Cellular licence, and created Racal Telecomms Division. The same year, Racal formed a joint venture with Millicom named 'Racal Vodafone'. Vodafone made the first ever cellular telephone call in the United Kingdom on 1 January 1985, from St Katharine Docks to Newbury, and launched the UK's first cellular network later that year. 'Vodapage' was launched two years later, providing 80% of the United Kingdom's population with a paging service.
Racal Telecom was demerged from Racal Electronics in 1991, becoming Vodafone Group, and introduced the country's first GSM mobile phone network the same year. The company launched 'Vodata' in 1994, providing digital data, fax and a text messaging service. Vodafone also began working with Globalstar to develop and launch a satellite to provide a satellite phone service.
On 5 January 1999, Vodafone UK connected its 5 millionth customer.
The first 3G voice call in the UK was made in 2001 on the Vodafone UK network, with an initial network of 30 base stations in the Thames Valley. In 2003, Vodafone introduced the 'Speaking Phone', a phone for blind & visually impaired users. Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G was launched in 2005, a data card that uses the network's 3G capabilities to connect laptop users to the internet.
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Wikipedia