Three says 5G will be a FREE upgrade for all customers – beating EE and Vodafone offers
THREE has confirmed that all existing customers can upgrade to 5G for free.
And new customers won't have to pay additional fees to get a 5G contract versus a slower 4G one.
There will be no speed caps, and the same rules apply across contract, SIM only and pay-as-you-go mobile plans.
And Three says that unlimited data plans will still be offered to customers with 5G internet.
This should significantly undercut rivals EE and Vodafone, both of which have launched 5G services at added cost.
"Three is leading the way with 5G, by providing our customers with unlimited data and the fastest speeds," said Dave Dyson, Three's chief.
He went on: "Our customers will be able to enjoy and explore a full 5G experience, at the same cost as 4G.
"The forthcoming months are going to be game-changing and with our unrestricted plans, we are looking forward to unleashing the full potential of 5G to all."
Three has promised to launch 5G in: London, Bolton, Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford, Reading, Liverpool, Rotherham, Glasgow, Slough, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Leeds, Brighton, Manchester, Coventry, Cardiff, Derby, Hull, Middlesborugh, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Wolverhampton, Sunderland and Nottingham.
These cities are expected to get access to Three's 5G network before the end of 2019.
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.
But Three says it's the only network provider that can give a 'true' 5G experience because it is apparently the only company that will give UK customers 100MHz of 5G spectrum, which is how the global standards body on 5G technology describes 5G.
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
Three has said that from the launch date "peak mobile speeds will be at least 2x faster than other mobile network operators and will provide a more reliable connection and experience for customers".
The company's 5G home broadband customers will also get the added benefit of not requiring an engineer to come and set up their broadband as they can just simply plug the box into the wall themselves and start using it.
UK consumers are expected to use 13 times more mobile data in 2025 than today and 5G is intended to cope with this extra demand.
"Three is the latest network to unveil its plans for 5G services and there’s a lot for consumers to get excited about," said Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com
"The network is offering 5G to all of its customers at ‘no extra cost’, meaning 4G users can enjoy the new service at the same price they are currently paying.
"The deal makes Three cheaper than EE, which charges a premium for its next-generation service. And the provider, which won the uSwitch award for best roaming, has set itself apart from Vodafone by not capping the speeds of its services."
Doku points out that Three already offers – which is upgradeable to 5G.
But he added that Brits will also need to factor in "the cost of buying a 5G-ready handset", which typically cost close to £1,000.
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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