Vodafone has rolled out the first commercial 5G mobile services in Spain, with Huawei as the core equipment supplier for the project.
O2 has confirmed it will launch its own 5G network this year. Chief executive Mark Evans said O2 is "committed to launching 5G this year" and is "excited" to show customers the new experiences it can offer.
A UK decision about Huawei's role in 5G networks is "a more difficult judgement than it was before," said a senior British government minister at today's 5G World event in London.
UK Carriers are urging the Government to clarify the UK's position on Huawei, claiming that uncertainty could harm Britain's chances of being a world leader in 5G.
Three has announced it will launch its 5G network in August, but it will only be available in London as a home broadband service.
Three 5G home broadband customers will be able to plug a hub into the wall to immediately become connected, without lengthy engineer wait times or a long-term contract.
EE launched its 5G network in six cities in the UK today. The commercial launch has been rolled out in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester. It will then be launched in 10 additional cities later this year - including Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
The fallout from the United States ban on Huawei is now having its first major effect on upcoming smartphones from the Chinese company in the UK.
EE and Vodafone have announced that they have pulled Huawei’s phones from their 5G network launch, joining other global telecoms groups in dropping launch plans after the Chinese group was hit by a US export ban that could stop it using Google’s Android operating system.
Huawei has unveiled its new 5G-ready smartphone in London, the Mate 20 X 5G. The phone is essentially a 5G-enabled version of the Mate 20 X that the Chinese company launched in October.
OnePlus has launched its OnePlus 7 series of handsets globally, which consist of the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. However, there’s also a 5G variant of the OnePlus 7 Pro, which the company has announced has currently announced only in the UK.
Vodafone is to launch their 5G service in seven cities across the United Kingdom on July 3 at current pricing levels. The operator says it will also offer 5G roaming in Germany, Italy, and Spain later in the summer.
A new UK / South Korea 5G competition has been launched by Digital Minister Margot James to help prepare the UK for a future 5G rollout. Businesses are now being encouraged to apply for a unique opportunity to trial new content and services on South Korea’s transport networks.
EE will be testing a 5G-powered WiFi at Glastonbury this summer. It will be the first time this technology is used at a UK festival and comes ahead of it being rolled out to other cities and events later this year.
