Grimsby to get new 5G superfast phone services
GRIMSBY’S mobile phone service is to be upgraded to superfast 5G under a new deal confirmed by BT. The town has been named as one of the centres where new 5G equipment will be installed by Finnish communications giant Nokia. It follows Nokia’s selection to replace Chinese giant Huawei which has been banned from being involved in building new smartphone infrastructure because of fears of how data will be used.
In a deal with BT, Nokia, a pioneer early mobile phones, will become its largest equipment provider, supplying base stations and antennas to radio sites across the UK used by the EE 5G mobile network. Nokia’s kit was already being used by BT in Greater London, the Midlands and rural locations, but this enhanced deal will see it used across other towns and cities. These include Grimsby.
It means the town will be among the first areas in the country to have widespread 5G services for phones. 5G is described as the next generation of mobile network technology. EE says it will improve ‘mobile experience’ by providing faster internet speeds, more reliable connections in busy places, and
‘a near-instant connection’ when opening apps and websites, playing games or connecting to smart home devices.
The fallout for Huawei comes after the Government decided in July to ban the Chinese firm from having a role in the country’s 5G network, owing to tougher US sanctions restricting Huawei’s ability to build chips. As a result, British telecoms firms were told to remove Huawei equipment from the 5G network by 2027 and stop purchasing new 5G equipment from it by the end of the year.
The changes are expected to cost billions across the telecommunications industry and delay the deployment of 5G by up to three years. Confirming the Nokia deal, Philip Jansen, chief executive of BT Group, said it is “critical we make the right technology choices” in the “fastmoving and competitive market”. “With this next stage of our successful relationship with Nokia, we will continue to lead the rollout of fixed and mobile networks to deliver for customers,” he said.
It’s critical we make the right technology
choices in a fast-moving and competitive
market