EE launches 5G network in Birmingham with Wolverhampton to benefit later in year
EE is set to make its 5G network available to the public in Birmingham today.
The BT-owned operator is initially launching in six cities: London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester – with more to follow before the end of the year and into 2020.
5G technology is the next generation of mobile network and is expected to offer internet speeds several times that of current generation 4G.
Wolverhampton is set to benefit from the technology when Vodafone launches its network in the city later this year.
The operator has confirmed it will launch 5G across seven cities in the UK on July 3, with Wolverhampton and other cities to follow by the end of the year.
A number of 5G-capable handsets are available from Samsung, OnePlus, LG, HTC and Oppo, but Huawei has been left off amid ongoing tensions between the US and the Chinese company.
During last week’s 5G announcement by EE, chief executive Marc Allera said it had decided to “pause” the sale of Huawei 5G phones “until we get the information and confidence and the long-term security that our customers – when they buy those devices – are going to be supported for the lifetime that they’ve got the device with us”.
EE is planning to reach 1,500 sites by the end of 2019, including the “busiest parts” of Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
The operator celebrated the launch on Wednesday evening with a 5G-powered gig by London rapper Stormzy.
5G explained
What is 5G?
5G is the next generation of wireless mobile connections, following on from the 4G networks currently used by smartphones across the globe.
As the name suggests, this is the fifth generation of the network technology.
What is Huawei’s involvement in 5G?
The Chinese telecoms giant has got ahead of rivals by rapidly developing key parts of the 5G infrastructure and making it attractive to markets across the world with competitive prices.
“Huawei is considered months ahead of competition and restricting its involvement could be damaging to the UK’s ambition to be among Europe’s 5G pacesetters,” said Kester Mann, from CCS Insight.
“Already, all four network operators have signalled that they will launch commercial 5G services before the end of 2019.
“Cutting out the market leader would inevitably lead to higher costs of deployment which could ultimately be passed on to consumers.”
How have telecom companies reacted?
EE owner BT – which confirmed last year that it had removed Huawei equipment from key areas of its 4G network – said: “We’re aware of the reports around a Government decision on Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks.
“We haven’t been directly notified of any detail as yet, and we will continue to liaise with the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) and UK Government to understand the latest decisions around the usage of Huawei for 5G networks.”
Vodafone said: “We do not have any Huawei equipment in our core network in the UK. We look forward to seeing the report.”
How fast will 5G be?
There is no official speed standard for 5G, but many experts state it could be 10 times faster than 4G – and therefore potentially faster than home fibre broadband.
“5G is a next-gen network technology that should deliver speeds of up to 10Gbps – on paper, that’s considerably faster than 4G’s top-end speed of 300Mbps,” said Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com.
“In practice though, as we’ve seen with 4G, the speeds will likely be well below that but real-world tests do show it’s still much quicker than its predecessor.
“Where you’ll see a real difference with 5G is in the speeds you can download Ultra HD and 3D video. At 5G’s theoretical top speed, you could download an entire 25GB Ultra HD movie in about 20 seconds.”
What are the benefits of 5G?
The most obvious benefit to people will be faster, more reliable connections on their smartphones and other mobile devices, but the network technology will also improve services in other areas.
Ericsson, King’s College London and a group of other researchers have already demonstrated how 5G could be used to examine patients remotely, meaning experts can use a sensory glove no matter where they are.
Vodafone recently demonstrated how 5G could be used to carry out live holographic calls, with Manchester City and England Women’s football captain Steph Houghton.
How does 5G work?
5G is made up of unique radio frequencies that are broken up into bands. These frequencies are a lot higher than 4G, so can support a bigger capacity.
“5G is considered a millimetre wave technology – with a shorter wavelength than 4G, it has a higher frequency, which gives it a higher bandwidth and consequently ability to handle more data,” Mr Doku added.
When will 5G come to the UK?
Each network is planning to roll out 5G at different stages.
EE is expected to be among the first, with a roll-out of 5G anticipated later in 2019, following a number of ongoing trials. Its next test will be carried out during the Glastonbury festival in June.
