Yet another carrier has joined the ranks of the super-fast 5G service providers. Three UK has launched its 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) network, and is now offering high-speed 5G Broadband in central London. The country’s fourth biggest mobile network operator is offering “fibre-like speeds” and a “plug and play” hub to allow next-gen mobile network access throughout the home. In order to get Internet connectivity, the router connects directly to a 5G mobile phone signal, thus eliminating the need for users to pay a landline rental fee.
Dave Dyson, CEO at Three UK, said, “Three’s 5G is going to revolutionize the home broadband experience. No more paying for landline rental, no more waiting for engineers, and even a same day delivery option. It really is the straightforward plug and play broadband that customers have been waiting for. We’ve taken a simple approach with one single truly unlimited data plan to give customers the opportunity to fully explore 5G and all its exciting possibilities. The ease and immediacy of it all means home broadband using 5G is going to be key to the future of the connected home.”
According to the statement, Three UK is the only mobile network operator in the UK to hold 100 MHz of contiguous 5G spectrum, which will allow the carrier to offer faster and more reliable 5G services than its competitors. For its 5G roll-out, the company is using network technology from Nokia and Huawei and is set to offer the network service for mobile customers later this month, scaling up to cover 25 towns and cities across the UK by the end of the year. In addition, Three UK has announced that it will make its mobile 5G offering available to its 10 million customers at no extra cost.
The operator offers its 5G Broadband with a 12-month contract, and 5G plug and play hub with same-day delivery for GBP 20, and next-day delivery for free. Customers can get a single 5G home broadband plan for GBP 35 per month, including unlimited data. To support the launch of its 5G Broadband, Three UK has created the ‘Living Room of the Future’ – an immersive mixed reality experience at its flagship store on Oxford Street, London. The experience is delivered using Magic Leap augmented reality technology powered by 5G.
Ben Wood, Chief of Research at CCS Insight, commented that Three UK was in the pole position regarding 5G potential due to the large amount of spectrum that it holds. Nevertheless, he warned that the company would have to work hard to differentiate its offer after Vodafone launched their unlimited 5G and home broadband bundles in July.
