Vodafone UK has began live trials of its fibre broadband service and introduced new products to its Internet of Things range.
Fifty homes in the city of Milton Keynes have started accessing fixed line speeds of 1GBps, ahead of plans to roll it out across the city.
Vodafone signed a partnership with infrastructure provider CityFibre late last year and work began on the £40 million Milton Keynes’ project in January.
The telcos have already started work on a fibre network in Peterborough, with construction planned to begin in a further five UK cities in the coming months.
Nick Jeffery, Vodafone UK Chief Executive, said: “Full fibre is vital to our digital economy and to the UK’s future as a digital leader, yet just three percent of UK premises currently have access to it.
“That’s why we are offering Vodafone Gigafast Broadband and making it available on a mass scale, reaching a million UK homes by 2021.”
Meanwhile, the operator has bolstered its V by Vodafone range with two “digital buildings” solutions for enterprises, new wearables and a smart home kit.
Vodafone’s Building Surveillance system uses a cloud-based platform to connect existing CCTV equipment and monitor multiple sites. A dashboard can be used to send alerts in the event of certain incidents.
The Building Energy Management solution also uses a cloud platform to manage the likes of lighting, air conditioning and heating remotely. It also features a dashboard that can be used to measure KPIs and real-time performance to increase energy and operational efficiency.
In its consumer range, the operator has introduced V-Home, which includes a security camera, sensor, indoor alarm and hub that controls connected devices through an app. Customers can also add the likes of water leak and smoke sensors to the hub.
The operator is also selling new wearables for children and the vulnerable. Both include SOS buttons in the event of an accident.
Jeffery added: “Our aim is to help families create a smart home simply and without too much expense. Many families would like a smart home, but worry that it would be too complicated or expensive. It doesn’t have to be that way. Our V by Vodafone products are designed to plug in simply and work via one easy to use app. Together with our new wearables, they will help busy families stay connected and give them peace of mind that their loved ones and home are safe.”
The range of consumer IoT devices was first launched last year and included the likes of pet trackers and vehicle dongles.