Where can I get 5G coverage in the UK

5G networks in the UK are still embryonic. You’ll probably only pick one up in the busy part of your nearest big city or town.

Last updated: 17 November 2020

5G networks in the UK are still embryonic. You’ll probably only pick one up in the busy part of your nearest big city or town. EE has the most widespread coverage, but even it focuses mostly on city centres.
Don’t despair if you can’t hop onto a 5G network in your neighbourhood yet. 4G’s emergence was similarly slow. But eight years since the first 4G network (EE’s) was launched in 11 cities in 2012, 91% of the country's landmass has good 4G reception from at least one network and 66% from all four networks. Expect 5G to expand similarly in the coming years.

EE 5G coverage

Currently, EE has the most far-reaching 5G network in the UK. As of November 2020, it pops up in 112 cities and towns—and with more than just footholds in many of them. No other network covers more than 20% of a city, while EE covers more than a fifth of at least a dozen.

According to RootMetrics, cities with the best EE 5G coverage include:

Birmingham: 40.2%
Belfast: 37.4%
Cardiff: 33%
Manchester: 29.8%
London: 28.8%
Liverpool: 27.9%
Leicester: 25.6%
Hull: 25.8%
Nottingham: 25.4%
Bristol: 25.2%
Sheffield: 22.9%.
Newcastle: 21.1%

EE also boasts the best coverage in central London, at 77.5%.

To see if you can connect to EE’s 5G where you live and work, use their coverage checker

O2 5G coverage

O2’s 5G network is the most restricted. Although its 5G reaches 108 cities and towns, O2 is so far focusing only on hotspots near shopping districts, business areas, train stations, landmarks and entertainment and sports venues. It has the most presence in Belfast, where 0.6% of the city is covered. Coverage is even scanter elsewhere, including in London (0.3%).

Here’s some of the places where you can pick up O2’s 5G:

London: Hammersmith Tube Station, Olympia Exhibition Centre, The Emirates Stadium, London Waterloo Station, the City of London, Wembley Stadium, Kings Cross, Marble Arch, the Strand, Hyde Park, Barbican Exhibition Centre, the Natural History Museum, and The O2 in North Greenwich.
Belfast: Ulster University, Windsor Park, Belfast City Centre, Lanyon Place Railway Station and Great Victoria Station.
Cardiff: St Mary’s Street; Queens Street, St David’s Centre and around the Principality Stadium.
Edinburgh: Haymarket Railway Station, Lothian Road, Tynecastle Stadium, Princess Street and Edinburgh University.
Leeds: Merrion Shopping Centre, White Rose Shopping Centre, Trinity Shopping Centre, Leeds Train Station and the University of Leeds.

To see where else you can connect to O2’s 5G, use the operator’s coverage checker

Three 5G coverage

Three and Vodafone have made similar progress rolling out their 5G networks, achieving less coverage than EE but more than O2.

Three has claimed it is in pole position to build the UK’s best 5G network because it owns nearly double the 5G-friendly spectrum its rivals do. However, the network was slow getting out of the starting gate with its 5G, which launched last of the four network operators, in February 2020.

Three has made quick progress since then and, nine months later, its 5G appears in 68 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

RootMetrics identified the following cities as having greater than 5% coverage from Three’s 5G:

Birmingham: 15.4%
Manchester: 6.7%
Leicester: 6.1%
Liverpool: 5.5%
London: 5.5%
Sheffield: 5%

Three’s 5G also boasts 20% availability in Central London. It hasn’t yet launched in Northern Ireland.

To see if you can access Three’s 5G in your neighbourhood and on your high street, use the network’s coverage checker

Vodafone 5G coverage

Vodafone’s 5G started in just seven cities in July 2019. By November 2020, that has expanded to 57 locations in all countries of the UK. Vodafone boasts the highest availability in Bristol (16.8% coverage) and, according to RootMetrics, has coverage above 5% in six other cities:

Cardiff: 11.2%
Liverpool: 10.5%
Glasgow: 9.5%
Manchester: 6.8%
Birmingham: 6.4%
London: 5.2%

Although Vodafone and Three have equal availability across greater London (5.2%), Vodafone has better coverage in Central London, at 39.6%, behind EE at 77.5%.

To see Vodafone’s 5G coverage, use its Network Status Checker.

Places with the best 5G coverage

Where are the best UK areas for 5G coverage? Independent telecoms advisory umlaut has identified Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Birmingham itself has 11.9% 5G geographic coverage, according to umlaut, benefiting from widespread coverage from EE and Three in particular. It’s followed by London, with 10.76% geographic coverage, and Manchester 10.53%.

The West Midlands is the top-ranking Combined Authority area, with 7.34%.

Top Combined Authorities for 5G geographic coverage

West Midlands: 7.34%
Greater Manchester: 2.84%
West of England: 2.64%
Sheffield City Region: 1.74%
Liverpool City Region: 1.33%
West Yorkshire: 0.98%

Author: Harry Pererra

Harry turns on his experience in web design and programming to write about the latest news in the world of tech and broadband. When he isn’t writing for usave he is working towards his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and prefers dogs to cats.