Three has announced that all new and existing customers will have access to 5G once the network is rolled out later this year.
The plan makes it the first network to offer 5G to all its customers, unrestricted and at no extra cost. It includes all existing contract, SIM only, and PAYG users. There's no speed cap placed on customers and unlimited 5G SIM only plans start at £20 per month making the prospect very appealing to customers keen to switch to 5G.
Three's always been pretty good at focusing on mobile data consumption and it's clear they're keen to offer something more over other networks. The simplicity of not needing a dedicated plan is sure to appeal to many worried about any hidden or extra costs when switching to a 5G based smartphone.
Three will roll out its 5G mobile network later this year, across 25 cities, including major cities like London, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. It's worth noting that it's the only UK network that can offer a 'true' 5G experience thanks to its 100MHz of contiguous spectrum which is the ITU Global standard requirement for bandwidth to provide a full 5G experience. That should mean a much faster service compared to other networks.
To benefit from 5G, Three customers will still need a 5G ready device. Currently, Three offers the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G as part of its 5G ready range, with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G arriving shortly.
"Three is leading the way with 5G, by providing our customers with unlimited data and the fastest speeds. Our customers will be able to enjoy and explore a full 5G experience, at the same cost as 4G," explained Dave Dyson, CEO at Three.
The company also has big plans for its network with the aim for 80% of Three's network traffic today to be covered by 5G within three years. Alongside that are substantial improvements to the existing 4G network too with the hope that it will boost average data speeds by up to 50%.
