EE is currently trialling 5G at Canary Wharf and across parts of East London
EE has confirmed that it will switch 5G on across 16 cities UK cities next year as it aims to be the first network to commercially launch 5G.
London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester will be the first six UK’s launch cities to receive 5G.
EE will also introduce 5G to Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol during 2019.
Currently EE is trialling 5G in the capital after launching the UK’s first 5G trial site on November 7 in Canary Wharf, London.
The first 1,500 sites upgraded to 5G by EE will carry 25 per cent of all data across the whole network, however will only reach 15 per cent of the UK population.
EE will introduce 5G smartphones along with multiple partners alongside an EE 5G Home router for 5G broadband.
BT consumer division CEO Marc Allera said: “Adding 5G to EE’s 4G network will increase reliability, increase speeds, and keep our customers connected where they need it most. We have an ambition to connect our customers to 4G, 5G or WiFi 100 per cent of the time.”
Welcoming EE’s 5G expansion Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I want London to be the world’s leading smart city and 5G expansion is at the heart of this ambition – it is good news for Londoners, innovation, and business.
“EE’s ambitious investment in 5G sites demonstrates that our city is a great place to invest in innovative and future-facing digital connectivity.”
Transmission at each site will be upgraded to 10Gbps links by EE and this has already been tested at trials site in Canary Wharf and East London.
EE is also upgrading its 4G service by converting 3G signal into 4G and is expanding 4G coverage into rural parts of the UK. So far this year EE has built more than 350 brand new 4G sites.