Life in focus: How 5G could change the economies of our biggest cities

What does 5G really mean for major cities like London? As Vodafone UK celebrates the opening of their new London home, The Speechmark, with a Lego look at the future - research shows the benefits could be measured in billions of pounds.

The move from 4G to 5G is transforming society – and 5G could boost the economy of London by  £30 billion by 2030, according to research by Vodafone UK.

The figure was released as part of the celebrations around the opening of the UK capital’s new digital hub – the Speechmark. A fuller report charting the economic effect of 5G across the UK will be released in November.

It’s predicted high bandwidth, and low-latency connectivity – which 5G should provide – will enable new ways for cities to operate: using data analytics to improve reliability and performance.

From digital buildings to autonomous vehicles, smart cities will improve the ways in which we manage well-being, health and safety.

If you build it

To show what this might look like, the Vodafone UK team tasked model experts Bright Bricks to create a Lego London of the future. The model showed how 5G and smart cities technology can change the way we live.

“London is on track to become the world’s leading smart city, and the move to 5G has the potential to make the capital a global trailblazer in civic innovation,” said London mayor Sadiq Khan, at an event to mark the opening of the new building.

“By working with providers like Vodafone, we can develop the best technologies that will boost our economy and meet the needs of Londoners, radically improving how we live and work”.

The company also announced a new partnership with Transport for London (TfL) – which will mean that from spring 2020, for the first time, commuters will be able to make calls, stream video and download content while travelling on London Underground’s Jubilee Line – not just while the train is in stations.

“5G will enable a whole new generation of digital services capable of improving transportation, housing, and connectivity across the capital,” said Nick Jeffery, Vodafone UK CEO.

“5G will transform the way we live, how and where we do business, and improve how productive we can be at work.”

“It is the technology upon which all future innovation, capacity and great customer experiences is going to be based.”