Vodafone’s merger with Three has officially reshaped the UK mobile market—creating the country’s largest mobile network and delivering faster speeds to millions of users.
The newly formed VodafoneThree, now serving 28.8 million customers, reported a 14.5% surge in UK revenue in the first quarter following the May 31 merger. Over seven million customers are already enjoying up to 40% faster 4G speeds, and the company aims to eliminate mobile “not-spots” across 16,500 square kilometres by year-end.
“This is a massive change all across the country,” said Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle, adding the merger has made a “fast start” in improving service and coverage.
Beyond connectivity, the impact is economic too: VodafoneThree plans to invest £11 billion into UK infrastructure over the next decade—part of a long-term strategy to put Britain “at the forefront of European connectivity.”
Meanwhile, group-wide revenue rose 3.9% to €9.4bn, with strong gains in Africa helping offset weaker results in Germany. In the UK, service revenue grew 15.2% year-on-year to €1.65bn.
The company also secured £342m from Virgin Media O2 in a separate spectrum-sharing deal, further strengthening its UK operations. From faster speeds to bigger promises, Vodafone Three’s early results show that this merger is about more than numbers—it’s about making mobile better for millions of everyday users.
