Customers will need a 5G-capable device to hop onto the network but they’ll see no additional charge on their bills.
Three is already boasting that they’ll have the fastest 5G network in the UK, with download speeds expected to hit between 200 and 300 Mbps. Its 140MHz slice of 5G-friendly mobile frequencies is nearly triple the slices owned by the other operators and should allow the network to deliver 5G with faster speeds—reportedly by a factor of two—than its competitors.
And the network reportedly won’t limit the speeds customers can attain.
The mobile operator known for its unlimited All You Can Eat data plans is also extending the data binge to all its 5G contracts. The network said it expected the introduction of 5G to mean data usage will increase by a factor of 13 by 2025. Its customers are already the hungriest on the market, consuming 3.5 times more data than the industry average—8.3 GB a month. And Three doesn’t want all that effortless 5G-enabled streaming to be curbed by data budgets.
But after years being the only network to offer unlimited data packages, Three is finally facing competition for data-gobbling mobile users. Vodafone has welcomed its 5G network by launching its own unlimited data packages
But it’s the combination of high speeds, unrestricted downloads, and no surcharge that means Three’s customers will enjoy a “full 5G experience,” Three UK CEO Dave Dyson said
“The forthcoming months are going to be game-changing and with our unrestricted plans, we are looking forward to unleashing the full potential of 5G to all,” he said.
Three’s 5G will be launching in August in London, with plans to extend to 25 cities, from Cardiff to Sunderland, by the end of the year. The mobile network predicts that within three years 80% of its network traffic will be over 5G.
Meanwhile, the network is ploughing £2 billion into improving its mobile services to meet this demand, upgrading 4,300 sites across Britain. The investment will reportedly boost average download speeds by 33%, whether you’re using 5G or the slower 3G or 4G networks.
