£12.7 million upgrade project boosts Northern Ireland coverage by 20%
- Three year project to increase network coverage and improve performance
- Population coverage increased to 95% since 2012
- 4G coming to Belfast this month
- Coverage gains and roaming offers see sales boost
A £12.7 million network improvement project has seen Three’s mobile coverage in Northern Ireland grow from around 75% of the population to 95% in three years.
To achieve this Three has more than doubled the number of sites in its network in Northern Ireland from 189 at the end of 2012 to 425, with new areas now covered.
Since the project began, Three has seen a six-fold increase in data usage and call minutes have tripled on its Northern Irish network.
Three has also introduced advanced 3G technology across the network so customers will be able to enjoy a better experience using services like music, video streaming and web browsing.
The network investment continues with Three introducing 4G to its network in Northern Ireland in November, with the initial rollout focussed on Belfast. 4G will be added to other parts of the country in 2015, including Londonderry. 4G is available at no extra cost to Three customers and there is no need to swap SIM or change tariff.
Bryn Jones, Three’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “We have invested heavily in our network to provide exceptional coverage and a quality experience in Northern Ireland. Our customers will be able to enjoy better and faster mobile internet with the addition of new sites and the latest 3G technology. We will continue to invest in and improve the network to make sure customers get the best experience.”
Chris Lloyd, Three’s Area Manager for Northern Ireland, said: “With the massive expansion of network coverage we’ve seen sales rise by 28%, and 84% of our customers in 2014 have said they are likely to recommend us to friends and family. With our Feel at Home offer addressing the problems of inadvertent border roaming our Northern Ireland customers have made us the top performing region of the UK for growth.”
Last year Three addressed roaming costs by allowing customers to use the internet and call and text Northern Irish numbers over Irish networks at no extra cost, under its Feel At Home offer, addressing both accidental and intentional roaming.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
- Three’s population coverage in Northern Ireland was 76% at the end of 2011
- 4G will be introduced to Belfast from November, with Londonderry following in 2015
Contact information.
| Name | Three Corporate PR Team |
| Phone | 020 3725 2339 |
| three@mww.com |
About Three
Three is a communications company. We are focused on challenging the industry to make mobile better for everyone.
We want to give customers a quality mobile experience and address the industry issues that frustrate them.
We were the first UK network to introduce all-you-can-eat data and offer 4G at no extra cost. We let customers roam abroad with their domestic bundle for no extra charge and do not charge for calling 0800 numbers.
We continue to look at ways of improving the experience we offer our customers.
Three carries over 45% of the UK’s mobile data. Our 3G network covers 98% of the UK population.
We launched 4G in 2014 and plan to have 50 cities and 200 towns covered by 4G by December 2014. By the end of 2015 98% of the population will be able to access 4G through a combination of new sites and deploying new spectrum.
Three is a member of the HWL group of companies, with investments in mobile operations in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macau, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Vietnam.
Three employs over 4,400 people across its offices in Maidenhead, Glasgow and Reading and its 345 retail stores.
For more information visit www.three.co.uk.
