Three UK 5G: The phones, speeds, prices, rollout dates and everything you need to know
Three UK launched its initial 5G network in the UK in August 2019, but it was only London-based and only for 5G home broadband.
We've been waiting a while for it to launch its full 5G service for phones, the last of the four main UK mobile networks to do so. However, it has now announced that a full roster of 66 locations across the UK will have 5G from the end of February. With the imminent launch of the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, launching 5G services had become an absolute must.
Here then is everything you need to know about Three's 5G network, including the forthcoming mobile launch, the phones, rollout locations, prices and much more.
What is 5G?
5G is the name given to the next-generation mobile service that promises faster speeds, lower latency and more stable signals than ever before.
It runs concurrently with 4G and 3G services, so those shouldn't be affected if you don't want to switch right now.
5G requires new hardware, either specific, supported smartphones or mobile broadband routers that can access the bandwidths it uses. The possibilities are great, however, with 5G services set to improve mobile and even home gaming, offer incredible upload and download speeds, plus provide seamless, always-on internet connections for smart home appliances and, even, cars.
When will Three 5G be available?
Three launched the first phase of its 5G network in mid-August 2019, focusing on wire-free home broadband initially in the London area. It offers an alternative to high-speed internet through fibre optic cabling. Locations in London that offer 5G connectivity include its flagship store in London's West End and the Central St Martins design college.
London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry and Nottingham are the headline locations, but there's a full list below.
Three's full mobile 5G service was planned to start rolling out to 25 towns and cities before the end of 2019, but was "slightly delayed" due to complexities with the construction of its cloud core network technology.
"There are a number of parts we need to put in place to deliver our 5G experience: 5G equipment on masts, the right backhaul transmission, as well as the need to acquire the right planning permissions from landlords," it said in a statement.
"Added to this we also need to move all of our customer traffic onto the world’s first 5G cloud core network. Some of these components are more time consuming and complex than others, and, as a result, our 5G rollout is slightly behind our original plan."
Where will Three 5G be available?
Three 5G will be available in the following UK towns and cities by the end of February 2020.
- Aberdeen
- Abingdon-on-Thames
- Aldershot
- Balloch
- Barrow-in-Furness
- Basildon
- Bath
- Bedford
- Birkenhead
- Birmingham
- Blackpool
- Borehamwood
- Bradford
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Brookmans Park
- Cannock
- Cardiff / Caerdydd
- Chatham
- Clayton-Le-Woods
- Coventry
- Crawley
- Cullingworth
- Doncaster
- Dundee
- Glasgow
- Gorebridge
- Grimsby
- Guildford
- Heanor
- Hedge End
- Hemel Hempstead
- Huddersfield
- Inchinnan
- Ipswich
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Leyland
- Liverpool
- London
- Lower Stondon
- Luton
- Maidstone
- Manchester
- Motherwell
- Neston
- Newquay
- Nottingham
- Nuneaton
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Preston
- Reading
- Redcar
- Royston
- Sheffield
- Shelly Green
- Slough
- St. Albans
- Sunderland
- Swadlincote
- Swansea / Abertawe
- Swindon
- Westhoughton
- Wickford
- Wigan
The current London areas where Three's 5G home broadband service is available are Camden, Camberwell, Hackney, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets. We've asked for a more comprehensive list of these locations and will update this when we get them.
What phones and devices are available on Three 5G?
Three offers a selection of 5G Android handsets and we've listed all of those here.
Samsung Galaxy S20 5G, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra
squirrel_widget_184610
Three is offering all three of Samsung's new Galaxy S20 5G handsets. That's the best-value 6.2-inch Galaxy S20, the larger 6.7-inch S20+ and the spec-leader - the Galaxy S20 Ultra which has a 6.9-inch display.
The big difference in these devices is the cameras. While the Galaxy S20 and the S20+ are broadly the same, the setup of the Galaxy S20 Ultra camera is completely different with a whopping 108-megapixel sensor for the main camera.
Huawei Mate 20 X 5G
squirrel_widget_161298
Some of its rivals are yet to decide whether to include the Huawei phone in their line-ups, but political uncertainty hasn't stopped Three. This phone also has access to the full gamut of Google services unlike the newer Huawei phones such as the Mate 30 Pro and upcoming P40 series. It comes with a mammoth 7.2-inch display.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
squirrel_widget_148839
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is one of the best value 5G phones around and sports a 6.39-inch 2340 x 1080 FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor ensures it runs like the clappers, too.
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
squirrel_widget_148824
Last year's Samsung flagship will be an increasingly cheaper 5G option - the S10 5G comes with a 6.7-inch display, 4500mAh battery and a quad-camera system. It's also available across the other major providers.
Samsung Galaxy A90 5G
squirrel_widget_167530
Designed as a mid-range option but still packing a punch, the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G is a next-generation device that won't break the bank. It offers a glorious screen and a fabulous, solid design.
Three 5G broadband devices
Three is offering the below Huawei router at present, but will apparently offer a different HTC option in future. Huawei makes many of the consumer 4G and 5G broadband routers in use in the UK.
Huawei 5G CPE Pro Router
Three is using the Huawei 5G CPE Pro Router for its current 5G home broadband service. If you sign up to a plan - from £22 per month - this is the device you will get. Vodafone is also offering this same router - it appears it's the best option for static 5G for now.
HTC 5G Hub
Three has also confirmed to Pocket-lint in the past that it will be offering the HTC 5G Hub in future - an Android-powered router with a screen and media playback capabilities. However, there's no sign of this as yet.
How fast will Three 5G be?
We are yet to see the Three network in action fully, so cannot give you any real-world speeds at present. We will bring you more when we've tested the network ourselves when it expands to a wider set of regions.
However, Three itself claims that its network has the potential to be the fastest of all the big providers, including EE, Vodafone and O2, citing average speeds of 232 Mbps generally with peak speeds in excess of 1Gbps (although that will be a pipedream for most).
That's because it holds spectrum in the 140MHz block, including access to a 100MHz contiguous black that is potentially capable of delivering faster 5G speeds. Other operators hold 40MHz and 50MHz blocks. That situation is set to change a little when Ofcom holds another spectrum auction this year.
Indeed, the other networks aren't that happy about the current situation because they believe it may give Three a competitive advantage. Ofcom wants a 37 percent cap on the spectrum that one network can hold following the auction.
How much will Three 5G cost and what are the best deals?
The best news about Three's 5G mobile offering is that it will come at no extra cost to customers. Yes, it's a free upgrade to all Three customers on contract, SIM-only or PAYG plans.
Of course, you'll need a 5G phone to access the superfast network but the main thing is you won't need to upgrade your existing tariff.
SIM-only unlimited 5G plans will also start at £20 per month. Prices for Three's 5G home broadband service start at £22 per month.
from Pocket-lint https://ift.tt/2xlhONj
via IFTTT
No comments: