Tesco Mobile has officially launched its 5G network in 24 towns and cities across the U.K., using infrastructure from mobile operator O2.
Some of the cities in which the company is already offering its 5G service includes Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield, among others.
Tesco Mobile said that its 5G network will reach total of 50 locations in the coming months, including new cities such as Bournemouth, Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Wolverhampton.
“Today marks an exciting step for Tesco Mobile as we bring the latest technology to our customers. We’ve taken the time to be in a position to offer great value tariffs, making 5G accessible to everyone – all with the added perks of being part of the Tesco family,” said Tesco Mobile CEO Tom Denyard.
Prices for 5G plans will start from £15 ($19) per month on a SIM-only plan, which includes 5 GB of data plus 5,000 texts and minutes. Tesco Mobile is also offering 100 GB for £30 per month.
The company also said that the devices that can be purchased on contract include Samsung’s Galaxy A90 5G and the new Galaxy S20.
Tesco Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) which operates in the U.K., Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It is operated by retailer Tesco and is a joint venture between Tesco and mobile carrier O2, owned by Spanish giant Telefonica.
O2 launched its 5G network in the U.K. in October 2019. O2’s 5G network was initially available in certain areas of Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds. The carrier said that the initial focus for its 5G network is on highly populated areas including railway stations, shopping centers and sports stadiums.
The telco said that its 5G network will be live in a total of 50 cities across the UK by summer 2020.
O2’s 5G network infrastructure is being rolled out in partnership with Ericsson and Nokia, following a competitive tender earlier this year.
Rival operators EE, Vodafone, Three and BT have also launched commercial 5G in the UK.
UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom had previously confirmed plans to release additional spectrum for the provision of 5G services in spring 2020.
In a statement, Ofcom said that the auction will include 80 megahertz in the 700 MHz band and 120 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band to support the expansion of 5G services across the U.K.
Last year, U.K. telcos obtained spectrum for the future provision of 5G services. Vodafone won 50 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.4GHz band after paying £378 million EE won 40 megahertz for which it paid £303 million. Three secured 20 megahertz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £151.3 million, while Telefónica-owned O2 picked up 40 megahertz for £318m.
