EE has revealed that its 5G network will go live on 30 May, some five weeks before Vodafone.
The latter revealed plans last week to switch on its own 5G network on 3 July.
Vodafone 5G network to go live on 3 July
EE says that its 5G platform will be available across six UK cities – London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester and Birmingham – from next week. Later in the year, it'll come to Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
You can pre–order a 5G handset from EE now. The network is selling Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G, the recently launched OnePlus7 Pro 5G, Oppo’s Reno 5G and the LG V50 ThinQ.
What is 5G, when will it launch in the UK and how fast is it?
You can snag the Galaxy S10 5G with 30GB of data for £79 per month plus £10 up front, with the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G available for £69 plus £50 for the phone itself. The Oppo Reno 5G comes in cheaper at £64 per month for the same data after paying an initial £50.
The latter will be available within 21 days of ordering, while Samsung’s device will be out on 7 June. You can get the OnePlus 7 Pro in time for EE’s 5G launch day.
Each package comes with the choice of two swappable benefits: these are a music data pass that allows music streaming without eating into your data allowance; video data pass for accessing the likes of Netflix without using any data; BT Sport streaming in HDR; and Roam Further, with the ability to use your phone in non European destinations such as the U.S. and Australia at no extra cost.
Additionally, EE will see 5G SIM Only plans. £32 will get you 20GB of data, with £52 a month securing up to 100GB.
EE is also selling a new 5G EE Home Router that switch between 4G and 5G depending on signal strength and a 5G EE WiFi Router for use when out and about.
EE has not given specifics on the strength of 5G in its launch cities, merely revealing maps that show how strong signals are in each location. Vodafone, meanwhile, offers a postcode search to see how strong its 5G is.
