5G in the UK: Everything you need to know from phone internet speeds to availability

You'll need the right phone, the right data plan, and to be in the right place

Stormzy performs in a 5G-powered gig beside Tower Bridge on the River Thames to mark the launch of 5G on EE, London (Matt Crossick/PA Wire)

5G, after years of promise and discussion, has finally come to the UK.

The new technology promises network speeds many times faster than those with existing 4G connections. And that ability could transform the way people use their phones, according to its evangelists, who argue that it will make it possible to download content in an instant and facilitate whole new ways of using networks.

But all of that promise has been mere speculation before EE switched on the super-fast network from today. Now it has become the first to offer it, though other networks are expected to do so soon.

Still, there are a whole host of limitations on whether you'll actually be able to use it. You'll have to buy a new phone, pay up for a new contract – and it still might not actually be available where you are.

(Some carriers in the US have got around this by claiming they are offering 4.5G and showing 5G network indicators in the corner of phones' screens, despite the fact it is not really 5G. This isn't happening in the UK, at least yet, so if it is showing then it should also be working.)

Will my phone be able to use it?

In short, if it's not a brand new phone that had 5G in the name when you bought it, then probably not.

A variety of companies are offering 5G-enabled phones already, including those from Samsung, OnePlus, LG, HTC and Oppo. All of them – apart from the LG V50 Thinq – include "5G" in their model name, so it will probably be obvious if you've already got one.

Only the OnePlus 7 Pro actually came out at the same time as the 5G network was switched on. The rest can be pre-ordered now.

Huawei also make a phone ready for 5G, but EE has decided that it won't be selling them because of the ongoing dispute between the company and US authorities.

And Apple hasn't yet commented on its plans for 5G, though rumours suggest that an iPhone ready for it should be coming in the next couple of years.

But there is a way around all this, if you don't have a brand new and 5G-capable device. EE is offering two devices that sit separate from your phone, and generate a WiFi connection so you can attach the two together.

There is a home router version, and one that works more like a hot spot for using on the go. Neither of them are available yet, but you can register your interest on the website.

For all of these, you will need to pay the extra cost for one of EE's 5G plans.

Will it work where I am?

EE has switched on the 5G network in six cities initially: London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester. That doesn't mean it will be available everywhere in those places, but it should be available in some.

5G travels less easily than slower networks, so it might sometimes be difficult to connect even if you feel like you are somewhere that should have it.

The company has committed to offering the network in 1,500 sites by the end of the year. That will include the "busiest parts" of Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield, the network said.