5G Coverage and Rollout
5G has launched in a large number of places here in the UK, but as with the early days of previous generations of the technology (namely 3G and 4G), actual 5G coverage is limited mostly to parts of select towns and cities. The roll out of 5G is gaining traction though, with some networks now at well over 50% UK population coverage, and the main question on everyone's mind is when does 5G come to my area?
The good news is that 5G is already available in 113 major towns and cities via at least one mobile operator, and coverage is expected to rapidly improve.
In this article we will run you through everything you need to know about 5G coverage in your area.
5G coverage map overview
EE became the first mobile operator to launch 5G in the UK. That was back in May, 2019, and since then we've seen Vodafone, O2 and Three launch their own 5G services, along with many MVNOs (discussed below).
Areas with 5G coverage right now
We track 5G coverage in 120 major towns and cities across the UK, and the majority of them have 5G from at least one network now, as the chart below shows.
Town/City |
EE +BT +CMLink |
Vodafone +ASDA +VOXI +Virgin +Lebara +Talkmobile |
Three + iD Mobile +SMARTY |
O2 +Sky +Tesco +Giffgaff +Lyca |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aberdeen |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bath |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Birmingham |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Blackburn |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Blackpool |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bolton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bournemouth |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bradford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Brighton |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bristol |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Bromley |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Cambridge |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Canterbury |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Cardiff |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Carlisle |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Central London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Chelmsford |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Chester |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Cleveland |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Colchester |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Coventry |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Crewe |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Croydon |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Darlington |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
Dartford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Derby |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Doncaster |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Dorchester |
✔ |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
Dudley |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Dumfries and Galloway |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
✖ |
Dundee |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Durham |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
East London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Edinburgh |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Enfield |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Exeter |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Falkirk and Stirling |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Galashiels |
✔ |
✖ |
✖ |
✔ |
Glasgow |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Gloucester |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Guildford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Halifax |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Harrogate |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Harrow |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Hemel Hempstead |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Hereford |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Huddersfield |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Hull |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Ilford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Inverness |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Ipswich |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Kilmarnock |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Kingston upon Thames |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Kirkcaldy |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Kirkwall |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
Lancaster |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Leeds |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Leicester |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Lerwick |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
Lincoln |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Liverpool |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Llandrindod Wells |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
Llandudno |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
Luton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Manchester |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Milton Keynes |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Motherwell |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Newport |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
North London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
North West London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Northampton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Northern Ireland |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Norwich |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Nottingham |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Oldham |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Outer Hebrides |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
✖ |
Oxford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Paisley |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Perth |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Peterborough |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
Plymouth |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Portsmouth |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Preston |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Reading |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Redhill |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Rochester |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Romford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Salisbury |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Sheffield |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Shrewsbury |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Slough |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
South East London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
South West London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Southall |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Southampton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Southend-on-Sea |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
St Albans |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Stevenage |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Stockport |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Stoke-on-Trent |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Sunderland |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Sutton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Swansea |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Swindon |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Taunton |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Telford |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Tonbridge |
✖ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Torquay |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Truro |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
Twickenham |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Wakefield |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Walsall |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Warrington |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Watford |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
West London |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Wigan |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✖ |
Wolverhampton |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Worcester |
✔ |
✖ |
✔ |
✖ |
York |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
EE 5G coverage is currently available in 107 major locations (plus numerous smaller ones), Vodafone 5G is in 70 locations (plus a number of smaller ones), O2 is in 88, and Three is in 106.
It should be noted that when a mobile operator states that 5G coverage is available in a city, such as Manchester, it does not mean that Manchester has city-wide coverage - more likely it will be limited to the most heavily populated or trafficked areas. This will change in time.
To check out which areas of the above cities have 5G coverage right now you can use the coverage checkers above or find out via our individual coverage pages below:
When will MVNOs launch 5G?
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) don't own their own physical network and instead use one of the UK's core networks (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) to provide their service. Therefore, they are reliant on the core networks allowing them to provide 5G to their customers.
So far BT, VOXI, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff, Virgin Mobile, iD Mobile, Lebara, Asda Mobile, Lyca Mobile, CMLink, Smarty Talkmobile and Sky Mobile have already launched a 5G service.