O2 plans to roll-out its 5G service across the UK in October, with customers in Edinburgh, Cardiff, London and Belfast set to benefit initially.

The 5G switch-on will also see faster speeds and “new opportunities” reaching customers in around 20 towns and cities by the end of the year, the company confirmed. By summer 2020, this number is expected to rise to 50 locations.

“Radical” improvements are expected due to the next-generation network rollout, boosting capacity and reliability in key locations and allowing customers to access superfast speeds, even during peak times.

Commenting on the launch announcement, Mark Evans, CEO of Telefonica UK, said: “5G is going to be a game-changer for our country. Whether it’s for people or businesses, the power of this next-generation network is going to unlock a world of possibilities for our economy and society.

“As we switch on our network across the country, our intelligence-led rollout prioritises the key areas in towns and cities first – the places where our customers need, and will use, 5G the most.”

Evans added that the operator will also give customers “maximum flexibility” with its 5G network plans, allowing them to adopt “at a time that’s right for them”.

Although O2 will be the last of the UK’s major networks to roll out 5G services, it will be the only one to launch a 5G service without using equipment made by Huawei. Instead, the company has chosen to use equipment produced by Nokia and Ericsson.

O2’s parent company, Telefonica, has used Huawei-made equipment in other networks, and the company has also trialled the Chinese firm’s tech in the UK. However, a decision was taken to use alternative equipment.

Speaking to the BBC, Evans said: “We respect all three operators, they were thorough in their submissions. But we were convinced that the best choices for us at this time are our current partners, which are Ericsson and Nokia.”

Will 4G be impacted?

4G connectivity and the services you pay for will not be impacted by the launch of the 5G service. O2 confirmed it will implement a “balanced 5G rollout” and has committed to continue upgrading its 4G network across the country.

“4G remains the backbone of the O2 network and, earlier this year, O2 announced it was upgrading its infrastructure at sports venues across the country,” the company said in a statement.

A YouGov poll recently showed that 31% of consumers would prefer improved 4G connectivity and “fair tariffs” to be a greater priority than 5G roll-out, with just 11% believing 5G should be a priority.