Millions of Vodafone and Three customers given free mobile upgrade

The UK only has four mobile network operators, which is why it is a big deal that two of them have merged. As of June 2025, Vodafone and Three combined to become VodafoneThree, but until now there has been little information on how this will affect the customers of both companies.

Vodafone says it has 18.3 million mobile customers in the UK, while Three says it has 10.9 million. Now combined, the new firm has more customers than its closest rival EE, which has more than 25 million subscribers. O2 has more than 24 million.

VodafoneThree has this week announced it has already switched on what it calls its “Multi-Operator Core Network” technology, which it claims is set to improve network coverage for millions of Vodafone and Three customers free of charge.

Mobile network operators own certain mobile frequencies, known as spectrum. By combining Vodafone and Three’s spectrums, VodafoneThree now offers customers of both brands coverage from each, hopefully improving the number of signal bars on your phone.

“By bringing the networks together, VodafoneThree is unlocking greater capacity, eliminating 4G not spots and expanding 5G coverage across the UK,” VodafoneThree said in a press release.

“This means customers’ devices will automatically connect to the best coverage available – whether that’s on the Vodafone or Three network – effectively giving them access to two networks at no extra cost. This will see customers of VodafoneThree brands experience improved coverage, reliability, and speed when using 4G and 5G.”

If you are a Vodafone or Three customer, you don’t have to do anything on your end to benefit from this change.

“The first stages of the technology are being activated remotely, enabling faster deployment across Vodafone and Three’s networks,” VodafoneThree said. “By the end of the first year, VodafoneThree will have brought over 9,000 sites online.”

It’s not just customers of these two famous brands who will benefit from the merger, according to VodafoneThree. Smaller UK network brands that use the Vodafone or Three networks, Smarty, VOXI, and Talkmobile, are set to get a similar boost.

VodafoneThree said seven million Three and Smarty customers have already seen 4G speed boosts by an average of 20 percent and even up to 40 percent in some areas thanks to the network sharing allowed by the merger.

“Bringing our networks together marks a major milestone for VodafoneThree, unlocking greater capacity, reducing 4G not spots, and expanding 5G coverage,” said Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer, VodafoneThree.

“Just weeks into the rollout, millions of customers are already seeing the benefits of a nationwide boost, powered by our spectrum integration and Multi-Operator Core Network technology.

“It’s a clear signal of VodafoneThree’s ambition and ability to move at pace to deliver a new era of connectivity.”

VodafoneThree said all customers of all of its brands “will see benefits within 12 months”.