Winchester residents are set to be handed a signal boost through the introduction of a new 4G phone box.

Vodafone is kitting out the phone box in Market Street with miniature 4G technology units - adding extra mobile coverage in the area, without adding clutter to the high street.

The units will be positioned on the roof of the phone box, meaning nearby businesses, residents and passers by can stream HD videos, download maps and access websites with less interruptions.

The activity is part of Vodafone’s latest network modernisation programme to improve both 4G and 5G for UK customers.

The programme will see the retirement of the old Vodafone 3G network in 2023, with coverage replaced by strengthened 4G and 5G services, meaning customers can access a more reliable connection in more parts of Hampshire, which will be essential as the county moves fully out of Covid restrictions and people are once again on the move.

Andrea Dona, network & development director at Vodafone UK, said: “Our network has never been busier. Customers are connecting more than ever when they’re out and about, using maps, keeping up with work on the go, and using social media. Using these phone boxes to house mini 4G technology means we can keep up with demand and make the most out of existing structures on our streets. Adding more 4G coverage is important to us and our customers as we prepare to switch off old 3G technology next year.”

This comes after the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently announced that it was cutting regulations to make it easier for mobile network technology to be attached to public infrastructure, including so-called ‘street furniture’ like streetlamps, traffic lights and phone boxes.

Similar technology has been introduced in phone boxes in Brighton, Edgware, Edinburgh, Guildford, Harrow, Oxford and two busy beaches on the Cornish coast, Polzeath and Sennen Cove.