Voda to open market

Vodafone has pledged to use smaller suppliers for one fifth of its new 5G network as it aims to break the dominance of bigger players.

The British telecoms company has said it will use more so-called ‘openran’ technology made by smaller vendors as it rips out and replaces kit previously supplied by Chinese firm huawei.

like its peers, Vodafone is facing a ban on huawei equipment in 5G networks by 2027 over concerns China could use it to spy.

Vodafone has pledged to make at least 2,600 of its masts and antennas openran compatible so that smaller firms will be able to provide more of the kit, the FT reported. This will help open up the market to more competition, Voda said.