Thrive-G: UK needs time to get up to speed with superfast 5G, as one in six mobile phone users believe technology is 'overhyped'
While a third of Brits (32%) now own a 5G handset[1], one in six mobile users (16%) users feel the technology is overhyped[2]
Less than half of 5G users (41%) say they have experienced improvements in speed or reliability[3]
And yet a quarter (23%) of consumers are planning to buy or upgrade to a 5G handset within the next two years[4]
One in six 5G users in rural areas (17%) say they have never been able to connect to the network, though those in cities struggle less (6%)[5]
Yorkshire has some of the UK’s worst connectivity, with less than half of people getting a reliable 4G signal (48%)[6], while Glasgow is the UK’s 5G hotspot with 49% of users receiving it regularly[7]
Telecoms expert Ernest Doku explains how 5G could change the way we live - and that the best may be yet to come. Read Uswitch’s 5G guide
Three years on from its UK launch, one in six mobile phone users (16%) feel 5G technology is “overhyped”, according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service[2].
More than 16 million people own a 5G-enabled handset in the UK[1], and experiences remain mixed. While some feel their service has got better - less than half of 5G users (41%) say they have experienced improvements in speed or reliability.[3]
The Government has pledged that most of the UK population will be able to receive 5G by 2027. Almost a quarter (23%) of consumers are planning to buy or upgrade to a 5G handset within the next two years[4], with 5G SIM-only deals also gaining in popularity.
The fifth-generation connectivity also risks making the digital divide between urban and rural areas worse. One in six (17%) 5G mobile users in the countryside say they have never been able to connect to the network, nearly three times the proportion of those in cities (6%)[5].
For parts of the UK, poor connectivity extends beyond 5G. In Yorkshire, less than half of residents (48%) say they receive a reliable 4G service, and one in seven (14%) report that they often have to use the 2G network, which dates back to the early 1990s[6].
It’s a tale of two cities for Glasgow, which has both the highest proportion of people still regularly using 2G services and the most relying on 5G. Bristol has the most residents who frequently rely on 3G, and also ties with Belfast for the highest regular use of 4G[7].
Creating a 5G network is an expensive business, with Vodafone and Three currently considering a merger to fast-track their 5G rollout, but one in six mobile users (17%) feel providers should focus on improving 4G coverage instead[8].
From next year, the 3G network will begin to be phased out across the UK so the bandwidth it uses can be freed up for 4G and 5G services. Vodafone has announced it will turn off its 3G network in 2023, followed by EE and Three in 2024, while O2 has yet to announce its switch-off plans.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “After the promise of 5G delivering ultrafast speeds to our mobiles, it’s no wonder that many consumers still don’t understand what the fuss is about when compared to their everyday experiences.
“But it’s important to remember 5G was first trialled in the UK just three years ago, so this technology is really still in its infancy. We’re still only scratching the surface of what it can do.
“When the technology reaches its potential - and more importantly is readily available to all - it won’t just change the speed of our mobile data, but how we live our lives.
“With multiple concurrent users in the home becoming commonplace due to our new hybrid normal, and the rise of plug-and-play mobile broadband as a viable alternative to fixed line services, 5G could well play a pivotal role in connecting our homes in ways we may have never imagined.”
Is 5G worth it? Top questions answered by by Ernest Doku
Is 5G just an improved version of 4G?
First trialled in 2019, 5G is a next-generation network technology developed to replace 4G as the main way we access the internet on our smartphones. The main providers are investing heavily in expanding the network, and both Three and EE already claim to cover over half the population with their services.
How much faster is it? On paper, 5G can deliver a top speed of 20Gbps, allowing you to download a 25GB UltraHD movie in seconds. While consumers are unlikely to see those speeds in practice, our tests suggest that head-to-head it can be at least 20 times as fast as 4G - speeds in excess of 700Mbps have been recorded, faster than many fixed line broadband services.
What else can it do?
Beyond simply allowing faster speeds - it has the capacity to cope with the surge in demand for bandwidth caused by the rising number of internet-connected devices in our homes.
How do I access it?
You will need a compatible handset to be able to access 5G services but these are also increasingly common. Apple’s iPhone 12 released in the UK in late 2020 was a 5G trailblazer and since then most smartphone releases have been 5G-enabled at no extra cost to consumers.
Does 5G cost more?
The big four networks, Vodafone, EE, Three and O2, have made the network a standard part of their plans. As a result most pay-monthly deals are no more expensive for 5G than for 4G.
If you’re using it to stream and download a lot of content on your smartphone, you may find you are eating through data more quickly than you’re used to on 4G. To get the most out of your extra speed, you could consider an unlimited 5G SIM-only plan, which can start from just £15 a month.
I don’t have a 5G handset, should I upgrade?
If you’re coming to the end of your current pay-monthly contract, it’s a great time to consider a 5G smartphone. You can cut your upgrade costs by choosing a refurbished handset instead of a brand-new model outright and pairing it with a 5G SIM-only deal.
For more information on the 5G network visit Uswitch’s guide
Notes to editors:
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from the 20th to 23rd September 2022. Results were weighted to reflect a nationally representative criteria.
1. Respondents were asked ‘Do you own a 5G-enabled smartphone?’ and 32% said yes, Using the UK adult population of 52,673,000, adjusting for those who don’t own a phone = 16.55 million people own a 5G-enabled smartphone.
2. Respondents were asked ‘How do you feel about 5G mobile technology?, select all that apply’ and 16% said ‘5G technology has been overhyped’
3. Respondents who owned a 5G-enabled smartphone were asked ‘Aside from any other changes to your handset, how has having 5G affected your mobile internet speed and reliability?’ 25% said it has greatly improved both speed and reliability, 13% said speed only, 3% said reliability only
4. Respondents were asked ‘Do you own a 5G-enabled smartphone?’ and a total of 23% who did not said they planned to buy or upgrade to one in the next two years.
5. Respondents with a 5G-enabled smartphone were asked ‘When not connected to Wi-Fi how often does your phone say it is connected to 5G?’ and 6% of those in urban areas gave the answer ‘Never’, compared with 17% of those in rural areas.
6. Respondents were asked ‘When not connected to Wi-Fi how often does your phone say it is connected to 4G and 2G/Edge network. For 4G, 48% of respondents from Yorkshire gave the answer always or regularly; for 2G/Edge14% gave the answer always or regularly
7. See table in release.
8. Respondents were asked ‘How do you feel about 5G technology?, select all that apply,’ and 16% said ‘Providers should focus more on improving 4G coverage than rolling out 5G’
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.