UK mobile operator Three has confirmed it will not charge customers extra for 5G compared with its existing 4G plans.
Three UK is known for catering to heavy mobile data users. In March, the operator reported that average data usage per customer rose by 22 percent year-on-year, from 6.8GB to 8.3GB.
Customers who use large amounts of data often choose Three because of its competitive pricing for generous allowances, including unlimited-style plans. By contrast, rival EE applies a notable premium to its 5G contracts, and Vodafone has introduced speed caps on some of its new 4G/5G offerings.
Three’s first 5G handset offering is the Huawei Mate 20 X, making it one of the initial UK retailers — alongside Sky Mobile and Carphone Warehouse — to sell the device after it was temporarily removed from some sales channels following restrictions on Huawei. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G are expected to join the Mate 20 X within the coming month.
The name “Three” reflects the operator’s early role as the first provider to launch 3G data in the UK. However, during the rollout of 4G, a controversial spectrum auction gave EE a substantial advantage, and Three lagged behind larger rivals in improving performance and coverage.
Although Three will be the last of the UK’s major operators to introduce 5G services, it is positioning itself as the only network delivering “true 5G.”
Three acquired 140MHz of 5G spectrum and says this bandwidth will enable peak speeds up to twice as fast as any rival network at launch. Vodafone, by comparison, holds around 50MHz of 5G spectrum.
International standards bodies such as the ITU indicate that delivering the full 5G experience requires significant spectrum—often cited around the 100MHz mark—so Three’s spectrum position supports its marketing claim of offering a more complete 5G service at launch.
“5G is a game-changer for Three, and of course I am excited that we will be the only operator in the UK who can offer true 5G,” said Three CEO Dave Dyson in June.
If Three succeeds in launching across all planned locations, it will mark a strong rollout. EE and Vodafone have both announced 5G launches in fewer than 20 cities this year, while O2 has scheduled launches in six cities initially, expanding to 50 by summer 2020.
Three intends to launch 5G in 25 UK cities before the end of 2019: London, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield, Slough, Sunderland, and Wolverhampton.
The operator has not yet provided firm dates for the 5G launches in these cities.
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