How London aims to improve its 5G, rated the worst in Europe

The world’s urban populations continue to expand – in the US alone, more than 80% of citizens are city dwellers,  according to the United Nations, with similar trends observed in Europe, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean.

As cities swell, so does the demand for robust and efficient infrastructure – from housing to transportation and healthcare, there is pressure on local governments to invest in services. And many of these are underpinned by connectivity.

Technologies such as 5G and fibre are not merely faster and more efficient – they are the bedrock on which innovation builds in both the public and private sector. These sorts of connectivity enable real-time applications, such as intelligent traffic systems and public safety announcements, and also play a key role in the daily lives of citizens and businesses.

But not all cities are built the same, and connectivity can vary greatly from nation to nation, or even in neighbouring cities.

Take London, for example. Despite being a major technology and financial hub, the UK capital has significant room for improvement when it comes to connectivity, according to telecoms measurement service MedUX, which names it as one of the worst for quality 5G experiences in a study of 10 European cities.

According to the MedUX – which works with telecom providers, regulators, and enterprises to quality assess fixed and mobile wireless internet broadband – Berlin has the best connectivity. It found that the German capital has an 89.6% reach and was also the best city for 5G streaming with an average latency of less than 40 milliseconds.

By comparrison, only 77.5% of London’s population has 5G on its devices, below the urban average. Plus, it has an average download speed of 143 megabits per second, while in cities such as Lisbon, the speed is 528 Mbps, and 446 Mbps for Porto.

“Investing in high-quality 5G networks is crucial for achieving the smart cities’ vision,” says MedUX CMO, Rafael Gonzalez. “This involves more than just widespread 5G coverage; it requires networks that meet specific performance standards for different use cases.”

Future-proof cities

MedUX’s research found significant disparities in network quality between regions, such as the UK compared to Germany – but consistent and reliable connectivity is essential for real-time applications and critical mission services.

For governments, the real task goes beyond laying fibre and erecting 5G towers. It requires a concerted effort to ensure these infrastructures are utilised to their full potential.

“In smart cities, high-quality connectivity is essential not just for enabling future-proof technologies like 5G but also for societal development, efficiency, and competitiveness,” says Gonzalez.

He adds that real-time data transmission enabled by high-speed, low-latency networks are crucial for applications in traffic management, public safety, emergency response and more.

“Reliability and consistent performance also play a critical role in ensuring access to services and improving overall city efficiency.”

Take smart traffic management, such as Manchester city’s ongoing digital transformation of its transit system, where 5G connectivity can help in providing real-time data of transportation.

This will aid in streamlining transportation so commutes are timelier and can also help traffic light systems with reducing traffic and ensuring a better flow of vehicles.

“I really believe in the next five to ten years we will start to see smart transportation as a reality,” he adds.

“Smart traffic management, in general, is a very interesting use case, not only for real-time traffic data but also for autonomous vehicles,”

Gonzalez points to the future idea of controlled lanes that will host only autonomous vehicles that will wirelessly communicate with each other and infrastructure: “That’s going to take more time, but of course, we are going to see that.” And 5G quality must keep up.

“Another use case that is very important is telemedicine.”

Similarly how the UK city of Liverpool has implemented 5G cells around the area of Kensington to ensure residents using telemedicine devices are connected, and nearby GPs can monitor their health remotely.

However, as cities become busier and GPs and hospitals become more strained, this type of remote monitoring will become more essential – so the need for quality 5G is equally important.

UK telco response

Given the poor results, TI asked telecoms operators in the UK what was going on – perhaps surprisingly, they acknowledge the performance issues, blaming market issues.

Robert Finnegan, CEO of Three UK tells TI: “UK mobile networks rank an abysmal 22^nd out of 25 in Europe on 5G speeds and availability, with the dysfunctional structure of the market denying us the ability to invest sustainability to fix this situation.”

Finnegan claims his firm’s proposed merger with Vodafone will “unlock £11 billion” worth of investment in digital infrastructure to help improve 5G networks across the UK.

Reza Rahnama, MD of mobile networks at BT Group says since EE, which it owns, launched in 2019, “it has prioritised quality of experience and reliability.”

The MedUX report supports this, with EE ranked the highest for UK mobile operators.

“While some networks have focused on peak speeds in small areas, EE’s approach has been a more consistent experience for a wider number of customers.”

“A lot of the focus has therefore been on continuous coverage, by upgrading areas of coverage, rather than some of the less targeted approaches that can be adopted by others.”

Recently EE implemented 5G ‘small cells’ in the London borough of Croydon.

Small cells are street-level miniature masts that attach the existing street furniture, like phone boxes and lampposts, with the aim of boosting signal in busy areas.

“These sites are a crucial part of our mobile network and help to reduce congestion, boost speeds and improve experience,” says Rahnama.

“By using advanced network analytics, we’re able to identify areas of London and the rest of the UK that experience high traffic demands and would therefore benefit the most from small-cell deployment.”

What did local government have to say? A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tells TI: “The Mayor’s Connected London programme has supported the delivery of core 5G infrastructure, and over the last seven years this has seen full fibre coverage rise from 4% to nearly 70% of the city.”

“This is an addition to hundreds of kilometres of London Underground tunnels and stations getting 5G coverage. Above ground, thousands of TfL and council assets, such as lampposts, are being used to help boost 5G on high streets and busy areas.”

Investment and permits

For cities such as London which are lagging behind, Gonzalez points out that more investment is needed, and the challenge of achieving permits to deploy physical infrastructure adds to the delay.

Plus, in 2020, the UK banned Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s infrastructure over concerns that it posed a risk to national security.

Kester Mann, analyst at CCS Insight explains that this has caused the UK to take a step back as operators had to replace a lot of existing equipment, costing around £500 million (though other European countries face similar challenges.)

Mann adds that there is a lot more caution in the UK in general for deploying 5G networks compared to the 4G era.

“4G was a significant period, with networks being at the forefront because of the 1800 MHz spectrum which allowed telcos to deploy 4G quickly and allowed for more use cases,” says Mann.

“With 5G, the ‘C-band’ spectrum, which is valuable for coverage, requires more infrastructure to achieve the same coverage.”

He also says that concerns about the return on investment have halted more money going into infrastructure.

“Investing in the next stage of digital infrastructure like 5G is important. While there’s a valid point about the lack of consumer use cases, the next stage, 5G standalone, presents potential new applications and services, particularly for enterprises.

Operators like BT are moving towards launching standalone 5G, which could generate more interest.”

BT’s Rahnama says: “It’s worth remembering that 4G remains a reliable and fast alternative. In fact, 4G small cells offer speeds of up to 300Mbps and ensure that our customers receive unrivalled reliable mobile connectivity.”

“What’s more, to date, 5G deployment has been done over a 4G core. The rollout of 5G standalone – where the technology sits on its own core – should help to improve customer experience further in the years ahead.”

Mann concurs that the move to 5G standalone could kickstart the market, alongside the merger between Three and Vodafone, “potentially leading to stronger investment in the UK.”

“Having three strong providers might be better for the UK market compared to having two major and two subscale operators. This has worked well in other countries like the US, China, and South Korea, which mainly have three networks.”

The UK government has a target for all populated areas in the UK to have standalone 5G coverage by 2030.

“This is primarily being rolled out by private mobile network operators EE, O2, Vodafone and Three,” says the spokesperson for Sadiq Khan.

Mann added that London’s urban landscape could potentially make coverage a challenge compared to more open European cities.

“Small local deployments, or small cells, might address this.”

The spokesperson for the Mayor of London says “Khan is committed to improving mobile coverage in busy and built-up areas in London and is future-proofing mobile connectivity by reforming planning laws to require all new developments to have sufficient connectivity.”

“Improving digital connectivity in London will help to increase innovation, productivity and growth across our economy and will help us to continue building a build a better London for everyone.”