EE introducing 5G service in Manchester next year

EE is to launch 5G mobile connectivity in 16 UK cities – including Manchester – next year, the telecoms firm has said.

The company, which is part of the BT Group, will roll out the new network within London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast, as well as Birmingham and Manchester, first.

The firm is currently running two trials of 5G connectivity in Canary Wharf and east London to test the real-world use of the new, faster networks.

The next generation of wireless mobile connections, 5G is expected to offer significant speed increases on 4G.

Chief executive of BT’s consumer division Marc Allera said: “Adding 5G to the UK’s number one 4G network will increase reliability, increase speeds, and keep our customers connected where they need it most.

“This is another milestone for the UK and for our network journey – we’ll keep evolving as we move to one smart network for our customers.

“We have an ambition to connect our customers to 4G, 5G or WiFi 100 per cent of the time.”

As well as the initial six cities, EE said it would introduce the network to 10 more cities throughout 2019 – reaching a total of 1,500 sites during the year.

As part of the company’s planned rollout of 5G, EE said it will also launch a 5G home router as an alternative to fixed broadband, and will be launching ‘multiple’ 5G smartphones in partnership with manufacturers, it said.