VodafoneThree Deploys Ericsson’s AI-Powered RAN Across London

VodafoneThree is rolling out Ericsson’s AI-powered radio access network across London as part of a SEK 12.5 billion partnership that spans more than 10,000 sites. The deployment centres on the AIR 3266 radio, which supports up to 400 MHz of bandwidth and carries Ericsson Silicon neural accelerators rated at 10 times the AI inference performance of the previous generation. VodafoneThree has committed £11 billion to network investment, and this rollout is the London chapter of that programme.

Ericsson’s AI-native Scheduler for Link Adaptation has shown up to 20 percent higher downlink throughput in congested conditions in trials, and the partners are running a scheduler trial before the end of the financial year ahead of a nationwide rollout in 2027. Iain Milligan, network development director at VodafoneThree, and Luca Orsini, head of Ericsson North Europe, are the named executives on the announcement. The scheduler trial runs before the end of the financial year and nationwide rollout follows in 2027.

The new radios deliver more than 30 percent energy savings and 50 percent lower embodied carbon, and the unit weighs 16 kg in an ultra-slim design. For a dense urban build where roof loading and cabinet space are real constraints, a 16 kg radio that cuts site power matters on its own merits. VodafoneThree’s £11 billion investment figure is a disclosed capital plan, and the SEK 12.5 billion partnership across 10,000-plus sites implies an average cost per site that operators can benchmark against their own programmes.

Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting tracks 52 fixed network providers and 18 FWA operators in the UK. The 20 percent throughput gain and the energy savings are trial results from a limited footprint, and the nationwide rollout is not scheduled until 2027.

Supplier’s note: We stock Ericsson AIR 3266-class radio units and baseband processing modules with 10 to 14 week lead times for standard configurations, and can source cross-reference alternatives from Nokia and Huawei radio families for operators mixing vendors on the same site. Our field teams have installed and commissioned Ericsson RAN equipment across more than 60 sites, handling rooftop mounting, fiber runs, and acceptance testing, with typical on-site duration of 4 to 6 days per site. Inventory of 400 MHz-capable units is allocated on a first-come basis during Q4, and freight plus customs for UK and Irish destinations adds roughly 1 week beyond factory lead time. Minimum order quantities apply on radio-only purchases. Buyers can request pre-shipment inspection reports covering RF performance, firmware version, and mechanical condition, and we hold spare antenna interface cables and mounting brackets for field repairs.