Sky promises 5G internet in 50 cities by summer 2020 – and lucky six will get it in October this year
SKY has confirmed plans to launch its 5G internet as soon as October 2019 – with 50 cities live by summer next year.
The upgrade promises ultra-fast speeds that will let you download 4K movies in as little as three minutes.
Sky Mobile will be piggybacking on O2's 5G network, which was announced yesterday.
That's why 5G will be switched on for both O2 and Sky Mobile on the same dates.
5G is the "fifth generation" of mobile internet, and introduces significantly faster download speeds.
Early tests by The Sun on EE's network have revealed speeds in central London of around 400Mbps (megabits per second).
That's in contrast to typical 4G speeds, which would usually fall around 20Mbps to 50Mbps.
Starting in October, O2 (and Sky Mobile, in turn) will switch 5G on in: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, London and Slough.
And by the end of 2019, 5G will also be available in: Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bristol, Coventry, Derby, Eton, Guildford, Leicester, Lisburn, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Stoke, and Windsor.
Then by summer 2020, O2 and Sky Mobile have promised to add another 30 cities, bringing the grand total to 50.
Network operator O2 said it will be prioritising key areas in towns and cities first.
These areas will be places where O2 and Sky expect more customers to need and use 5G.
Rivals EE and Vodafone have adopted similar approaches, focusing on major cities first.
And they need to be wary of Sky Mobile's entrance to the 5G game, according to one expert.
"The mobile network operators need to watch out as this move poses a considerable threat," said analyst Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight.
"5G represents a significant opportunity for Sky to steal market share.
"Sky armed with its innovative mobile features and breath of content is very well placed to compete head on.
"For now, from an overall services perspective it seems to be in pole position.
He added that we'll see O2 and Sky Mobile become "more closely aligned" in future.
But in any case, it's all good news for everyday Brits: "The UK will be one of the most competitive 5G markets in the world by the end of this year."
Pricing for Sky Mobile's 5G network has not been announced yet.
5G internet – what is it?
Here’s what you need to know...
- 5G is the next generation of mobile phone networks
- Just like 4G made your mobile internet faster and more reliable compared to 3G, 5G will do the same again
- Phone networks across the UK are currently scrambling to introduce 5G phone speeds for Brits
- Typical 4G speeds today will typically fall between 50Mbps and 100Mbps
- But early 5G speeds will raise this bar to several hundred megabits-per-second
- And once 5G networks are advanced, you’ll expect to enjoy gigabit-per-second speeds
- However, you’ll need to upgrade your phone plan to a 5G tariff
- Also, not all smartphones support 5G internet – they’ll need to have a 5G-ready modem inside
- We’re only now starting to see 5G smartphones in 2019, so older phones won’t support the new speeds
- Many top phone makers have committed to making (or already launched) 5G-ready smartphones
- These include Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus, LG and Oppo
MOST READ IN TECH
We reveal the 5G phones you can already buy in the UK today.
It's also possible that Apple might launch the iPhone 11 with support for 5G later this year.
And the rumoured Sony Xperia XZ4 has also been tipped as a major 5G contender.
Are you excited for the 5G future? Let us know in the comments!
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