Three to offer customers unrestricted access to 5G at no extra cost
New and existing customers will be able to benefit when the 5G network arrives
Mobile network Three has announced today that it will give all customers access to 5G without speed caps and at no extra cost when it rolls out coverage later this year.
The “unrestricted” access will be available for new and existing customers on a contract, SIM-only or PAYG plan, as long as they have a phone with 5G capability.
Three’s decision to provide 5G without speed caps or additional cost is likely a reaction to other networks placing restrictions on their 5G coverage. Such as Vodafone, whose cheaper contracts come with speed restrictions – essentially negating the main advantage of having 5G.
The network claims that it’s the only provider with the ability to offer “true” 5G because it runs on 100MHz of contiguous 5G spectrum – what the global standards body on 5G technology currently describes as 5G.
The company also said customers will have the option to adjust their data plan as soon as 5G is available in their area, even if they are mid-contract. With 5G eating through data much faster than 4G, unlimited data plans are likely to be a must-have for heavy users.
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According to a mobile data strategy report by Ofcom, Three customers typically use 3.5 times more data than anyone else and with the introduction of 5G, this could skyrocket to 13 times more by 2025.
Three previously announced it would launch its 5G service for broadband customers in August, with the mobile version rolling out before the end of 2019.
Initially, Three’s 5G network will go live in 25 towns and cities including London, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield, Slough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton.
Early adopters can now get the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G on Three ahead of the launch, with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G available in the coming months.