Vodafone announces UK 5G launch date

Mobile giant Vodafone has announced it will be switching on its 5G network for UK consumers and business customers on July 3.

The first operator to name a switch-on date, Vodafone plans to initially launch 5G in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and London, with 12 more cities scheduled to go live by the end of 2019.

The service will be available to both personal consumers and businesses and will be priced the same as 4G, according to the telecoms company.

In addition to the 5G rollout, Vodafone plans to launch digital innovation incubators across the country as well as the transformation of home of Wasps rugby Ricoh Arena into a 5G facility.

Vodafone UK CEO Nick Jeffery commented: “This is important. It means we can today announce the largest launch of 5G in the UK and be the first to announce 5G roaming.

“It means that UK businesses can lead the world in adopting 5G to boost productivity and attract investment.

“It means consumers can get the fastest mobile speeds ever, and it means that our public sector will be able to adopt new services to improve healthcare, social services and housing.”