The company will deploy 5G first in locations where high capacity is required, such as busy footfall areas around London Waterloo and Kings Cross; Haymarket in Edinburgh; Trinity Shopping Centre in Leeds; and Belfast South city centre; or in busy match-day hotspots around Twickenham or the Emirates Stadium.
O2’s 5G network will grow to 20 towns and cities by the end of the year, rising to 50 by next summer. The equipment is being provided by Ericsson and Nokia. O2 is investing more than £2 million a day across its network. O2 and other operators are partnering to develop the Shared Rural Network (SRN) proposal, to increase total UK geographic coverage.
O2 currently offers four devices that support 5G: : Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G; Samsung Galaxy A90 (5G); and the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G.
The company has also launched a range of 5G business tariffs. Small and midsize business (SMB) and enterprise customers will have access to a ‘no premium’ 5G Access bolt-on, which can be added to a customer’s subscription, without the need to change their contract.
Mark Evans, CEO, Telefónica UK, said: “Today is a significant moment for our customers and our business as we switch on the O2 5G network. We’re launching with a range of tariffs that make it easy and fair for customers to access 5G, with flexible plans that cost no more than 4G. We’re also switching on 5G in important parts of towns and cities first, places where it will benefit customers and businesses most.
“I believe 5G is going to revolutionise the way people and businesses use mobile connectivity, unlocking huge possibilities for our economy and society. No one in the country has all the answers today, but I’m excited about getting it into the hands of our customers and working with leading partners to help shape the future of 5G for the next generation.”
Matt Warman, digital minister, said: “We want the UK to be a global leader in 5G and for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027. This investment by O2 is a great step forward in rolling out the technology across our home nations, providing world-class infrastructure to help us grow our economy and compete strongly.”
