Manchester is among the six cities chosen for the first phase of its 5G launch. It joins the UK’s capital cities,London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh,as well as Birmingham.
EE is switching on 5G sites in 16 UK cities in 2019, including Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol.
EE is building 5G in the UK’s busiest places, where the power of 5G technology can really make a difference by providing a more reliable data connection even in the biggest crowds.
EE will launch with multiple smartphone partners, as well as an EE 5G Home router with external antenna, to showcase the power of 5G for broadband.
The BT Technology team is virtualising elements of the core network for 5G rollout in 2019, and is building a next generation 5G core in line with the next stage of global 5G standards, with virtualised network functions on a cloud native infrastructure, creating the basis for a smart and fully converged agile network. The BT 21CN backbone network is Petabit-class, and will ensure the future-proofed scale required to enable a world-leading 5G experience.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester’s advanced digital infrastructure, fast-growing tech sector, and world-leading university talent puts us in a perfect position to trial new technologies. We’re agile enough to get up and running quickly, but large enough to test at scale before rolling out pilots UK-wide.
“The 5G rollout from EE shows the recognition of Greater Manchester as the UK’s leading digital city region. We know that demands for even more data will increase and the arrival of 5G will ensure we’re open for business.”
