5G Coverage and Rollout
5G has launched in a large number of places here in the UK, and it’s now widely available, with some networks now at almost 90% UK population coverage. But 5G still isn’t available everywhere, so you might be wondering when 5G is coming to your area if you don’t have it yet.
The good news is that 5G coverage is continuing to rapidly improve, so if you don’t have coverage yet, you probably will do soon.
In this article we will run you through everything you need to know about 5G coverage in your area.
Our Coverage Checker
If you want to check your coverage in a specific location, then you’ll want to use our 5G coverage checker.
Our coverage checker uses real-time data, so you’re getting the most up to date possible picture of the coverage situation, and that data is a mix of information gathered directly from the UK’s mobile networks, and data from independent sources.
Plus, while our focus here is 5G, our coverage checker will also show you 4G and 3G coverage details, along with voice coverage. That information is then split into indoor and outdoor coverage, and you can see all this not just for the main networks, but for the UK’s various MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) too.
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 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
|
Network |
5G Launch Date |
Major Towns and Cities with 5G |
|---|---|---|
|
May, 2019 |
117 |
|
|
July 2019 |
104 |
|
|
February, 2020 |
113 |
|
|
October 2019 |
100 |
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 VOXI, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara, Asda Mobile, Lyca Mobile, CMLink, Smarty, Talkmobile, Spusu, 1pMobile, and Sky Mobile, among others have launched a 5G service. In fact, almost every UK MVNO now offers 5G.
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 +Spusu +CMLink +1pMobile |
Vodafone +ASDA +VOXI +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 117 major locations (plus numerous smaller ones), Vodafone 5G is in 104 locations (plus a number of smaller ones), O2 is in 100, and Three is in 113.
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:
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