O2 has rolled out its 5G network in 53 new towns and cities across the UK, pulling ahead of its rival EE to become the nation’s biggest provider of ultra-fast mobile internet.
The new locations include Birmingham, Durham and Portsmouth, bringing O2’s total number of locations with 5G to 150.
5G is the newest generation of mobile communication technology, offering data speeds several times faster than 4G.
The network also allows for larger amounts of data to be transferred at once, which could one day help power technologies such as fully autonomous cars.
The 5G network is now available in a range of locations across the UK
O2 has rolled out its 5G network in 53 new towns and cities across the UK, taking it ahead of its rival EE to become the nation’s biggest provider of the ultra-fast internet
O2’s new 5G locations include Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Doncaster and Southampton, while the network has significantly increased its 5G coverage footprint in bigger cities such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester.
Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer at O2 said: ‘We are delighted with the progress of our 5G rollout and to be able to offer customers in over 150 locations the benefits of our high-speed network.
‘Once again we are facing tough lockdown restrictions and we are focused on ensuring we meet the demand for increased network capacity and reliability to keep everyone connected during this time.
‘We’re also proud of leading the charge from an environmental point of view, with 67% of our estate powered by renewable energy as we work with landlords to encourage usage of more renewable sources.’
Meanwhile, EE has switched on its 5G network in a further 13 towns across the UK, including Leamington Spa, Middlesbrough, St Albans and Ipswich.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer business, said: ‘Our award-winning 5G service is now available in 125 towns and cities across the UK, and our rollout continues so we can bring the best mobile experience to even more people and places.’
For most consumers, 5G will allow you to carry out tasks on your smartphone more quickly and efficiently.
For example, EE claims that it takes just under 37 seconds to download a 600MB film using its 5G network.
However, 5G could also open the door to a world of futuristic technologies.
For example, the increased speed and lower latency could allow driverless cars to communicate with one another, while the network could also lead to more immersive VR and AR experiences.
EE’s 5G network is now available in 125 towns and cities across the UK, including London, Edinburgh and Glasgow
If you want to use EE and O2’s 5G networks, you’ll need to have a 5G-connected smartphone.
EE currently offers nine 5G smartphones on contract, including the iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S20 5G and Motorola G 5G Plus, while O2 has six options.