O2 today turned on 5G in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds with a promise to have 20 total locations by the end of 2019. It offers four 5G phones, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Samsung Galaxy A90 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G.
Also offered to anyone who buys an iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max on a 4G contract with 90GB, 120GB or Unlimited plan is a ’5Guarantee’, where they can claim £100 back when they upgrade to “The New Apple Smartphone 2020”, implying that the next iPhone will be 5G compatible.
Today is a significant moment for our customers and our business as we switch on the O2 5G network,’ Telefónica UK CEO Mark Evans said.
We’re launching with a range of tariffs that make it easy and fair for customers to access 5G, with flexible plans that cost no more than 4G. We’re also switching on 5G in important parts of towns and cities first, places where it will benefit customers and businesses most.
The company has continued its focus on delivering live music experiences to its customers by unveiling a new partnership with Oculus and MelodyVR as part of the 5th Generation of Music bundle. Including a 12 months subscription to MelodyVR and an Oculus Go virtual reality headset, music lovers can enjoy some of the biggest live performances in the world from through their headset or mobile phone.
Evans said,
‘I believe 5G is going to revolutionise the way people and businesses use mobile connectivity, unlocking huge possibilities for our economy and society. No one in the country has all the answers today, but I’m excited about getting it into the hands of our customers and working with leading partners to help shape the future of 5G for the next generation.’
The company has also launched 5G business tariffs to suit businesses of every size, whatever their data requirements.
By the end of 2019 O2 5G will be live in areas of the following 20 towns and cities:
| Belfast | Coventry | Leeds | Nottingham |
| Blackpool | Derby | Leicester | Reading |
| Bournemouth | Edinburgh | Lisburn | Slough |
| Bristol | Eton | London | Stoke |
| Cardiff | Guildford | Norwich | Windsor |
By summer 2020, O2 is planning on network rollout in an additional 30 towns and cities – reaching 50 in total.
| Aberdeen | Kingston | Plymouth |
| Bradford | Liverpool | Portsmouth |
| Brighton | Luton | Sheffield |
| Birkenhead | Manchester | Southampton |
| Birmingham | Milton Keynes | Sunderland |
| Cambridge | Newbury | Warrington |
| Glasgow | Newcastle | Wolverhampton |
| Hove | Northampton |
