Edinburgh has been named as one of the six cities chosen to take part in the first phase of EE’s 5G network launch.

Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast Cardiff and London have also been selected to benefit from the early rollout. EE is also building the next generation 5G core network, with virtualised network functions on a cloud infrastructure.

In 2019, EE plans to switch on 5G sites in a further 16 cities including Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol.

According to mobile operator, it has chosen some of the UK’s busiest places where it believes 5G technology can make a significant difference to the area by providing more reliable data connection – even in large crowds.

Alongside the rollout of 5G, EE will launch with multiple smartphone partners, as well as an EE 5G Home router with an external antenna, which the company says will showcase the power of 5G for broadband.

The BT Technology team is supporting the 2019 rollout by virtualising elements of the core network. It is also building a next-generation 5G core aligned 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, which EE says will “ensure the future-proofed scale required to enable a world-leading 5G experience.”

5G to Help Meet Increasing Demands for Data

Michael Matheson, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “I welcome today’s announcement from EE which will bring the latest mobile technology to Edinburgh and Glasgow and which will further enhance both cities’ credentials as places to live, visit and do business in.

“Commercial rollout of 5G by EE and the other mobile network operators supports our wider ambition of Scotland having an early advantage of this new and emerging technology. We know that demands for even more data will increase and this is why we have committed to developing a forward-looking strategy on 5G.

“We have recently awarded a contract for the Scottish 4G Infill Programme in which we will invest up to £25 million to deliver masts and 4G mobile services in selected mobile ‘notspots’ throughout Scotland.”

Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “With the number of residents, businesses and visitors to the city growing all the time, we know that demands for data will continue to increase. This 5G rollout by EE will help meet this demand while ensuring Edinburgh remains one of the most connected cities in the UK.”

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer division, said: “Our 5G trials are going well, giving us valuable insight into both the performance of the new technology and the challenges of upgrading sites with this new equipment. We’re confident that we can bring 5G to the busiest parts of Edinburgh and the UK in 2019. We’ll start with the busiest ‘hotspots’, meeting the greatest demand from our customers, and keep upgrading in more places from there.”