South Korea back in April launched the world’s first commercial 5G mobile network, beating the US, and Japan to the punch. While operators in the states have since responded, not much has been heard from operators in the UK and EU, but that changes now, as one of UK’s largest operator Vodafone is all set to make its 5G network go live.
Vodafone has set its UK 5G network launch for July 3, and it revealed that the new price plans will be announced next week, the operator added that prices for its 5G plans will be the same as their 4G equivalents.
Vodafone claims its 5G will offer data speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G. But 5G won’t just improve speed, it should also ensure better coverage in congested areas, such as at sporting events, music venues, and shopping centers. T leverage the ultra-fast speed been touted by the operator, users will have to get a 5G-enabled smartphone, and for that purpose, Vodafone announced that it will have in stock 5G-enabled handsets, as well as a 5G home router for fixed-line from next week, stressing that these devices will first work on 4G networks, but will be upgraded to 5G as soon as it becomes available.
Gizchina News of the week
For a start, the operator says its 5G network will be available in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and London, while access will be expanded to include 12 other cities later this year. Vodafone is also offering 5G roaming in the UK, Italy, France and Spain over the summer.
5G enabled phones that will be able to cling to Vodafone’s 5G network includes;
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G smartphone- exclusively available from Vodafone online and in-store from May 23
- Samsung S10 5G – to go on pre-order later this month
- Huawei Mate 20 X 5G – set for release later this summer
- Huawei Mate X 5G
- An exclusive 5G home router called the 5G Gigacube, which will launch this summer.
