Vodafone’s Bristol network gets boost in time for Balloon Fiesta

With half a million visitors expected at Bristol’s famous Balloon Fiesta this weekend (9-12 August), Vodafone has increased network capacity across the showground to ensure customers are able to keep in touch and share their best images over social media during the event

With half a million visitors expected at Bristol’s famous Balloon Fiesta this weekend (9-12 August), Vodafone has increased network capacity across the showground to ensure customers are able to keep in touch and share their best images over social media during the event.

With Vodafone 4G mobile data traffic increasing across the whole of Bristol by around 78% compared to this time last year, temporary mobile coverage trailers have been installed to provide additional network coverage and capacity.

This network boost forms part of a multi-million-pound investment programme in the South West region. Vodafone 4G is now available across 99% of Bristol, with local residents and businesses using their mobile devices more than ever before to access the Internet, send and receive emails and stream videos. Bristol Airport also recently received an extensive network upgrade.

Meanwhile, we also recently announced that Bristol will be one of the seven UK cities to become a Vodafone 5G test area, and we are already laying the foundations for 5G across the city. 5G-ready Active Antenna network technology (Massive MIMO) has already been installed outside Bristol Temple Meads railway station to create capacity and enable faster speeds in an area where lots of people connect to the network at the same time.

Vodafone UK’s Chief Technology Officer Scott Petty said “People from all over the world come to Bristol’s Balloon Fiesta. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that our network continues to run seamlessly for our customers. We expect the special coverage trailers to do just that. However, it’s also important that our customers continue to enjoy strong voice coverage and fast data speeds once the balloons are packed away, that is why we continue to invest in our network across the city and the wider South West.”

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Notes to Editors