The days of buffering and disconnected video chats will soon be behind us – 5G is coming to the UK.
The next stage in mobile technology is set to do away with all the issues of 4G signal, in turn revolutionising our lives. From powering businesses, improving our homes and spearheading advances such as driverless cars.
And tech companies are already getting up to 5G speed. In April, Samsung released its first ever 5G phone, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, for sale in South Korea, marking the start of 5G smartphones.
But what is 5G and why does it have the capacity to change so much?
What is 5G technology?
5G technology is the next generation in mobile networks. Like 3G and 4G before it, 5G is expected to be better and more powerful than what we’re used to.
The new technology will use higher frequencies than the likes of 4G, offering more speed and higher bandwidth.
If all goes well, 5G could potentially spell the end of Wi-Fi, particularly in public places, as the network will be strong enough to facilitate all the mobile internet browsing you could possibly want, from watching shows on Netflix to being able to scroll Instagram without interference.
As well, because the network will have a bigger capacity than 4G, it means that thousands of devices in a small area can be connected at the same time.
Ever been in a big crowd, say at a festival, and unable to use WhatsApp? 5G should lead to the end of those offline periods.
When is 5G coming to the UK?
The good news is that 5G will change lives. According to research by RootMetrics, only 53 per cent of UK mobile users are happy with their network speeds, with many saying they would pay more for better connectivity.
Margot James, minister for digital and creative industries, said: “We’re already investing £25 million in new test beds across the UK that will pave the way for our 5G future and our work with industry will be vital to help us achieve these ambitions.
EE is the first company that is going to be rolling out its 5G coverage. The company is going to flick the switch on for 5G on May 30.
The first cities to receive 5G coverage under EE include London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. However, it is going to take a while until we see full 5G coverage, with EE hoping to achieve full distribution by 2022.
Why will 5G take so long to roll out?
At the moment, only 85 per cent of the UK is covered by 4G and that was announced seven years ago.
It’s taking a while to get the technology developed and tested, and then networks like O2 and EE need to upgrade their current network sites to handle the new 5G technologies.
EE says it hopes to have 1,500 5G-enabled sites by the end of 2019.
O2 has said four test cities, London, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, will get 5G on its network in 2019, with other areas of the country receiving coverage from next year.
As Vodafone won the largest block of spectrum in the 5G auction last year, it is currently holding trials in several different cities, including Birmingham New Street Station, creating the UK’s first 5G train station.
Elsewhere, Chinese tech giant Huawei has just been granted permission to use their equipment in the UK’s 5G network, despite long-standing concerns over the potential security risk the firm poses.
Are there any 5G phones yet?
At this year's Mobile World Congress, every smartphone maker had some form of 5G phone on display.
Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G a week earlier, though the company was keen to show off the new device. Conor Pierce, corporate VP for Samsung UK and Ireland, told the Standard: “I think when you have common ground and reliable connection to 5G, I think that will allow us to engage in different ways - it's the beginning of a new era for the way we live our lives.”
So far, OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Huawei have all unveiled their respective versions of 5G smartphones. In general, these devices are slightly bigger than their 4G counterparts in order to accommodate the new modems that will enable them to connect to 5G networks.
As well, Samsung's 5G phone, in particular, has a bigger battery that will enable people to watch content and play all the games they want on the go thanks to those fast 5G speeds.
The other benefits 5G will bring
With all these powerful internet connections around, it’s likely there will be even more internet of things (IoT) devices taking advantage of this.
Driverless cars is one area where we could really see the benefit of better internet.
According to the World Economic Forum: “By making driving, mapping and video data available in real-time, 5G will extend the ability of vehicles to perceive their environment beyond line of site, though robust vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure connectivity to coordinate to improve traffic safety, efficiency, and flow.”
Furthermore, 5G could even power things such as drones being used to deliver medical supplies.
BT said 5G speeds can help with "advanced disaster recovery services using drones, such as delivery of equipment, medicine, food, water and blood."
There are also some more general things 5G will improve in our day-to-day lives. According to O2’s smart cities report, 5G could save households up to £450 a year on bills ranging from energy to food and council.
Things like smart fridges will reduce food bills, a 5G-enabled smart grid will cut down on your energy bills, and if councils take advantage of smart refuse collection, the costs saved here could be passed on to homes.
