THE DAWN OF 5G
DIGITAL STRATEGY
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“ We feel like we ’ re a technology company capable of developing innovative new services as much as a network operator ”
— Scott Petty , Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone UK
innovate and come up with new ideas to really be successful and win .” From its mobile money service , M-Pesa , to its cutting-edge IoT platform , Vodafone UK has proven that it ’ s more than a mobile phone operator , it ’ s an ubiquitous technology player .
Regardless of its ever-changing definition though , one thing is certain : customer service is at the crux of Vodafone ’ s future strategy . “ We operate in a broad technology market and so we ’ re not just compared against telecoms , we ’ re compared against every other business that has digital strategies . Therefore , enhancing customer service is really critical to us ,” Petty says . With this in mind , the firm has invested heavily in applications and online platforms , leveraging artificial intelligence ( AI ) and automation to improve its customer service .
THE DAWN OF 5G
When it comes to technology , the imminent rollout of 5G has dominated headlines both in the UK and abroad . It ’ s a highly-anticipated event – and it seems we won ’ t have to wait too long for its arrival . “ We ’ ve been working on 5G for quite a long time ,” observes Petty , noting how the telecom has “ more than a hundred spots live across the UK .” Vodafone has amassed a notable amount of spectrum and is already carrying out various 5G trials , including some UK firsts . In fact , in recent months , Vodafone launched its first full 5G mobile network in the UK , connected the country ’ s first 5G airport ,
MAY 2019