THE YEAR OF 5G

We’re on the cusp of a mobile revolution: as new 5G phones connect to new 5G networks across the UK. You’ll be able to enjoy super-fast, super-stable data access wherever you may roam.

- David Nield

5G isn’t just on the way – as of 2020, it’s here. Today you can go out and buy yourself a 5G-ready handset, and enjoy blazing fast 5G speeds on your mobile network, assuming you’re stood in one of the spots in the country that are covered – a list that’s grown strongly, and will get bigger in 2020, but still has a lot of limitations.

While you might think 4G is fast enough for your sports streaming and your Twitter browsing, 5G is on a whole new level: expect average download speeds of 150-200Mbps (almost 10 times faster than 4G) and peak speeds of 1Gbps (more than six times the maximum rate of 4G). As the technology improves, 5G should get faster still. And it’s not just about raw speed: latency (the lag between requesting something from the web and actually getting it) should improve by three or four times compared with 4G. Webpages and videos will appear in a snap, and apps that require content from the cloud (like VR or AR experiences) should load up almost instantly.

5G vastly improves on bandwidth too, which means your phone won’t suddenly be unable to get a connection when you’re at a sports stadium or a music gig – there will be plenty of connectivity to go around, no matter how many people get crowded into one place.

Add all that together and we’re talking about a genuine transformation in what you can do with your phone and how you can use it, and 5G is going fully mainstream this year. The number of cities covered is growing from a handful to the high double figures, and in 2020 it’s going to be rare for a flagship phone to launch without a 5G variant.