O2 launches 5G internet in six UK towns and cities and becomes only the second mobile network to do so
- New high speed network introduced across six towns and cities in the UK
- O2 pledged to focus its efforts on areas with the most footfall, like train stations
- Company said it will offer 5G tariffs to customers similar to the cost of 4G
Phone network O2 has become the latest to launch 5G internet in the UK.
The new high-speed network has been introduced to six towns and cities across the country and promises to reach 20 locations by the end of the year.
So far the company has rolled out 5G in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds, focusing on the busiest areas.
O2 has vowed to deliver better coverage in areas of heavy footfall, such as London Waterloo and King’s Cross stations, Trinity shopping centre in Leeds and Belfast city centre.
O2 (phone displaying logo, above) has become the latest to launch its 5G network in the UK
The telecommunications company said it would be focusing its coverage on areas of heavy footfall such as Waterloo Station (above)
O2 said it also plans to introduce the technology to sporting venues such as Arsenal’s Emirates stadium in north London and Twickenham.
5G technology is the next generation of mobile network and is expected to offer internet speeds several times faster than that of current-generation 4G.
Other operators such as Three, Vodafone and EE also launched their networks earlier on in the year.
The chief executive of O2’s parent company Telefonica, Mark Evans said they would also be launching a range of tariffs that would make it easier for customers to access 5G, with plans costing the same as the 4G technology.
Leeds Trinity shopping centre (pictured above) is one of the heavy areas of footfall being targetted
He added: ‘I believe 5G is going to revolutionise the way people and businesses use mobile connectivity, unlocking huge possibilities for our economy and society.
‘No one in the country has all the answers today, but I’m excited about getting it into the hands of our customers and working with leading partners to help shape the future of 5G for the next generation.’
This is while digital minister Matt Warman said that the latest network launch of 5G would help to make the UK a leader in the technology industry.
‘We want the UK to be a global leader in 5G and for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027,’ he said.
‘This investment by O2 is a great step forward in rolling out the technology across our home nations, providing world-class infrastructure to help us grow our economy and compete strongly.’
WHAT IS 5G AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
The evolution of the G system started in 1980 with the invention of the mobile phone which allowed for analogue data to be transmitted via phone calls.
Digital came into play in 1991 with 2G and SMS and MMS capabilities were launched.
Since then, the capabilities and carrying capacity for the mobile network has increased massively.
More data can be transferred from one point to another via the mobile network quicker than ever.
5G is expected to be up to 1,000 times faster than the currently used 4G.
Whilst the jump from 3G to 4G was most beneficial for mobile browsing and working, the step to 5G will be so fast they become almost real-time.
That means mobile operations will be just as fast as office-based internet connections.
Potential uses for 5g include:
- Simultaneous translation of several languages in a party conference call
- Self-driving cars can stream movies, music and navigation information from the cloud
- A full length 8GB film can be downloaded in six seconds.
5G is expected to be so quick and efficient it is possible it could start the end of wired connections.
By the end of 2020, industry estimates claim 50 billion devices will be connected to 5G.
The evolution of from 1G to 5G. The predicted speed of 5G is more than 1Gbps – 1,000 times greater than the existing speed of 4G and could be implemented in laptops of the future
