Initially, the next-generation network will only be available to Londoners.
Three UK will be launching its 5G network in the UK in August. Initially, it will only be made available to Londoners, saying that telco plans to extend its 5G mobile and domestic broadband coverage to 24 other cities across the UK by the end of 2019.
However, its initial 5G offering will consist only of home broadband services and does not include mobile services.
The 25 towns that receive 5G broadband and mobile home coverage at the end of the year will be: London, Birmingham, Bolton, Brownford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wolverhampton and Slough.
Three also said that it was making networking enhancements throughout London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool as part of its 5G £ 2bn infrastructure investment, as part of Nokia’s new 5G cloud core network.
Three currently have a spectrum of 144 mhz–more than twice the spectrum of 5G as their closest competitor–Vodafone has a spectrum of 50 mhz, and both O2 and BT have 40 mhz.
EE was the first telco to start a 5G network in the United Kingdom and launched its 5G network in six UK cities on 30 May. Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester were the towns that gained access.
Meanwhile, Vodafone announced in May that in July, it will launch its mobile service of next generation in seven cities throughout the United Kingdom. The mobile network said that the first 5G customers would be Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and London.
O2 announced in February that its 5G implementation would begin later in this year in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The mobile operator also said that by 2020 5G will be brought into other areas of the UK, which would coincide with more 5G handsets available.
In July, Three will announce their5G phone and pricing details.
