Mobile network operator Vodafone has said 70pc of Ireland’s population and 90pc of its capital city Dublin are now covered by fourth-generation (4G) LTE mobile data.

The company said its rollout programme has now reached six cities and more than 267 towns across the country.

Vodafone said it is on schedule to complete its national rollout programme to expand data coverage across both urban and rural areas.

The next phase of the rollout targets counties along the east coast, including Kildare south, Meath, Monaghan and Wicklow.

Existing 3G services are also being upgraded in tandem with the 4G rollout to include HD voice and better indoor coverage and voice quality.

Vodafone says its 4G service offers speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G, including instant photo uploads and uninterrupted music streaming.

The battle for 4G

In recent weeks, Vodafone beefed up its 4G RED Extra offering by bundling in Sky Sports Premium 1 pack.

“People carry their phones everywhere and we know they love having access to the best and most relevant content, particularly music, videos and photos, whenever, wherever,” said Vodafone’s consumer director Marcel de Groot.

“The rollout of Vodafone’s superfast 4G across Dublin, as well as the improvements to our existing 3G network, mean Vodafone customers can now do more of what they love with their phones at faster speeds and in more places.”

The battle for 4G, interrupted by Three’s €850m acquisition of O2 Ireland, is about to begin again in earnest among the various operators. Last week, Three and Eircom agreed to keep in place a 4G network-sharing joint venture called Mosaic, which will lead to the rollout of 2,000 new cellular sites across Ireland.