With the UK’s 5G network constantly growing, 5G home broadband is becoming a worthy alternative to traditional fixed broadband, especially for people living in urban or suburban areas.
5G broadband gives you ultrafast internet speeds without the need for a fixed cable. So instead of fibre-optic or copper cables, your broadband will rely on a 5G mobile signal, just like your smartphone.
Learn how 5G broadband works and how it could be an option for your home broadband.
What is 5G broadband?
5G broadband works in much the same way as 5G smartphones, in that you connect to the internet via a device that has a 5G SIM card.
However, rather than a mobile phone, the 5G SIM card is inside a home Wi-Fi router, which then sends out a Wi-Fi signal for all of your devices to connect to at once.
Your experience using broadband at home is then exactly the same as any other broadband connection. It's just not powered by fixed fibre or copper cables.
Read our guide to 5G for more information on how the technology works.
Is 5G broadband any good?
5G broadband is a different way of getting an ultrafast broadband connection that doesn't involve fixed cables, which most households use.
This is especially important for people in urban areas or blocks of flats who can't get a fast connection with a fixed-line broadband package, like one with BT or Virgin Media. If you're in an area that can get 5G, you can access similar speeds in a different way.
However, it's known to have a less reliable connection than fixed-line broadband, due to the weaker signal 5G offers compared to an uninterrupted cable connection.
Plus, it's only available in places where 5G is available, which is usually in urban areas and cities. So, if you're looking for a broadband connection you can consistently count on, a normal broadband deal may be better if you can get one that's fast enough.
Compare our best broadband deals
Search on Uswitch to find the right broadband package for you.
How does 5G broadband work?
5G broadband largely uses the same technology as a 5G smartphone, but it instead connects to a broadband router that all of your devices can connect to at home.
5G essentially works on the same airwaves as 4G internet but on much higher frequencies. This means it can transmit more data in a shorter period of time and, as a result, provide a much faster internet connection.
For example, 4G in the UK has an average speed of 24Mbps, while the fastest 5G speeds in the UK are currently around 12 times faster at 300Mbps. To put that into perspective, 300Mbps would download all ten seasons of Friends in just nine minutes versus almost two hours on a 24Mbps 4G connection.
5G stands for the fifth-generation technology of mobile networks, which is why it’s so much faster than 4G and 3G.
Where 3G technology enabled the age of the smartphone and 4G allowed faster browsing and better video quality, 5G can be relied upon for various high-intensity tasks, which is why it's proving to be a good option for home broadband.
How do 5G broadband routers work?
5G routers are mobile broadband routers that operate with a 5G SIM card. They work in much the same way as a traditional broadband router.
While 5G routers need to be plugged into a power source, they don’t need to be connected to a phone socket like normal Wi-Fi routers. So you can place your 5G hub wherever is best in your home for signal.
Setting up a 5G router for the best speed
Most home broadband routers are very straightforward to set up. Simply plug it into a mains socket, go through the setup process, select its Wi-Fi network on your device and enter the password.
It’s important to think about where to place your 5G router. For a standard router, you’d want to keep it clear of electronic devices, large furniture and thick walls to help the Wi-Fi signal carry throughout your home.
Because 5G operates on higher signal frequencies, it can’t penetrate obstacles like 4G. So it’s best to test out a few locations in your home, like on a window sill or upstairs. It’s also worth rotating your 5G router to see which angle picks up the best 5G signal once it's in position.
If there’s an app available from your 5G broadband provider, it might be able to give you some additional insight as to where to place your 5G router in order to get the best signal.
Can I use 5G for my home Wi-Fi?
If you live in an area with a 5G signal, you’ll be able to use 5G for your home internet. You’ll just need to purchase a 5G broadband deal to do this.
If your area doesn’t have 5G yet, you’ll have to wait until it becomes available before you can choose a 5G home Wi-Fi deal. But you might be in an area covered by 4G instead, and the speeds offered by 4G broadband can very occasionally be a bit faster than the maximum speed some can get with fixed broadband.
This is quite rare nowadays, but if you can only get up to 10Mbps speeds with fixed broadband, it'd be worth checking 4G deals out too.
Not ready to switch just yet?
If you're still mid-contract on your current broadband package, it will likely cost to switch early.
Feel free to tell us your contract end date and we'll remind you when you're able to change providers.
Broadband renewal reminder
Tell us your contract end date and we'll remind you to save
Contract end date
Get reminders to find a better deal when your contract is ending. We may use your address and current provider to show you relevant deals. Terms and conditions apply. Privacy notice.
What are 5G speeds in the UK?
The 5G speed you’ll be able to get depends on a number of factors, including your location and your network provider. The main players in the 5G broadband space are Vodafone, EE and Three, who each quote their own range of expected speeds.
Vodafone has said that customers can expect average 5G speeds of around 150-200Mbps, and EE has claimed a range of 5G speeds from 130-240Mbps. Meanwhile, Three offers a 5G home broadband package with 100Mbps speeds. But it has rights to more of the 5G spectrum than any other network, so its network could grow rapidly in the coming years.
A report from Opensignal in September 2024 showed that the UK’s average 5G download speed was 131.1Mbps across all the networks tested. This looks to be in line with what the individual networks are reporting.
To use our Friends example from earlier, the entire box set would take 21 minutes to fully download at 130Mbps. That’s over five times quicker than it would take on average 4G speeds.
So there’s clearly a lot of variation across networks and locations, but we’ve seen first-hand how fast 5G speeds in the UK can be.
Take a broadband speed test
Run a broadband speed test to find out what speed you're currently getting, and what else could be available to you.
How much does 5G broadband cost?
5G broadband is priced quite differently depending on which provider you choose. With providers like Three Broadband, it's noticeably cheaper than fixed-line broadband, but for provider like Vodafone or EE it comes with steep up-front costs and data usage limits.
For example, Three offers a 24-month 5G broadband service for little over £20 per month and no upfront cost. This goes up to nearly £30 per month and a £30-40 upfront cost if you want it on a monthly rolling contract.
However, Vodafone's Gigacube service starts from around £30 per month with a £40-50 upfront cost, but then goes up to around £40 per month at £15-20 upfront if you want it with no mobile data cap.
This means that you should check which providers have 5G broadband coverage in your area before you focus on signing up with a particular provider. The cost may vary by quite a distance depending on who is available to you.
5G broadband providers in the UK
Most of the big four UK networks that offer 5G services offer a 5G home broadband service.
Vodafone 5G broadband
Vodafone 5G broadband is supplied by the Huawei 5G CPE Pro router, which it calls the GigaCube. Once you’ve signed up and Vodafone sends you its GigaCube router, you will be set up and connected to Wi-Fi in minutes.
Vodafone 5G broadband contracts are either 24-month or 30-day rolling contracts, which come at two different monthly prices depending on how much data allowance you want. The options are:
- 200GB per month (cheapest)
- Unlimited downloads (most expensive)
Take a look at our review of Vodafone’s GigaCube 5G broadband service.
Three 5G Broadband
Three also offers a 150Mbps 5G broadband service via the Huawei 5G CPE Pro router, although the network provider calls it the Three 5G Hub. The service comes with no download limits or setup costs.
You can sign up for a 24-month or monthly rolling contract which comes with a setup fee. Three will also send you all the kit you need within one working day if you order it before 4pm. So, if you’re moving house or need to get online quickly, you could set up a connection in less than 24 hours.
Given that 5G can be a bit inconsistent while it is still being rolled out, the provider offers a money-back guarantee in the first 30 days of your contract if you aren’t able to connect to Three’s 5G in your home. This means you can get a full refund on the service and you’ll be free to search for an alternative internet connection straight away.
EE 5G home broadband
EE 5G home broadband is available in select locations, offering two different 5G Wi-Fi products with a few different contract options.
You can choose between its standard 5G WiFi hub or the pricier Smart 5G Hub, which has new Wi-Fi 7 technology.
The EE 5G WiFi hub either starts at around £45 a month, or you can pay around £100 upfront to make the monthly price cheaper. The higher mobile data cap you select, the more expensive it will also be.
The Smart 5G Hub only comes with two contract options, both involve a £100 upfront fee. You can either select 500GB maximum data use per month for £45 monthly, or you can upgrade to Unlimited for £50 a month.
5G vs broadband - which should I choose?
5G broadband will likely offer faster speeds to locations that are still struggling with copper ADSL broadband.
However, unless you can get Three's 5G network at your home, it will likely cost significantly more than an equivalent speed from fixed broadband service like full fibre. So it's worth remembering that as 5G mobile broadband technology advances, so too does fixed broadband technology.
The rollout of full fibre broadband networks is ongoing, increasing the accessibility to ultrafast internet speeds for homes and businesses across the country. In fact, in many locations, full fibre broadband is easier and less costly for providers to install than a vast network of 5G broadcast towers, especially in rural areas.
And finally, if 5G isn’t available in your area but you still want faster broadband speeds, it's always worth checking for fibre broadband deals in your area in case more have recently become available.
Browse our range of fibre broadband deals
Choose between our wide range of fibre broadband deals on Uswitch.
FAQs
Is 5G broadband better than fibre?
For the most part, fibre broadband will provide a better connection than 5G. If you can only get part-fibre broadband for now, you might be able to get faster speeds with 5G, but the internet you get will likely be less reliable.
Plus, with full fibre broadband expanding rapidly across the country, it might not be long until you can benefit from much faster speeds and better reliability with a fixed-line connection.
What is a 5G internet dongle?
A 5G dongle is a mobile internet dongle that connects your individual device to a 5G signal. It gets you online just like a 5G router does, but it instead plugs into a USB port on your computer or laptop rather than a mains socket in your house.
This means it’s completely portable, so it’s a great option if you’re constantly moving. But it does mean that you can only use the dongle on one device at a time. Plus, with 5G coverage still quite low, you might spend most of your time travelling with only a 4G connection.
5G routers aren’t as portable as 5G dongles, but they can connect multiple devices at once. Also, the routers are still semi-portable because all they need to work is a mains socket and 5G coverage. So all you’d need to do is unplug it, take it with you, and plug it back in wherever you’re staying.
Learn more about 4G and 5G mobile internet dongles with our guide.
