BT has announced the launch of its much-anticipated 5G service. The new service, which will begin its roll out in autumn, will be available in the UK’s busiest cities before the end of 2019.
The first to benefit from 5G will be customers who’ve signed up for BT Plus, BT’s bundled mobile and broadband package. This will mark a milestone for 5G, as BT will be the first company to offer the new service as part of this kind of converged package.
Customers on BT’s 5G plan will receive their 5G service through EE’s network. The network, which was launched in May, initially covered six major cities and continues to expand. BT Mobile customers in a further ten UK cities will receive 5G mobile coverage before 2020.
The CEO of BT’s Consumer division, Marc Allera, commented: “We’re bringing together the best fibre and mobile connections to help keep our customers connected, both on the go and at home,” referring to BT’s popular home broadband packages.
Allera went on to say: “Launching 5G for BT customers will give them the opportunity to experience the fastest mobile speeds in the busiest areas of the UK, and our BT Plus customers will have the first opportunity to sign up for 5G.”
5G will be available for both BT and BT Business customers as of autumn this year. BT states that this will allow customers in 5G areas to enjoy more reliable mobile phone and mobile internet services in the UK’s most crowded areas, even at peak times when the current 4G service may struggle.
For potential customers interested in signing up for BT Plus to get the 5G mobile service and broadband, there’s an added attraction: as well as round the clock support seven days a week, the BT Plus package comes with BT’s Keep Connected Promise. This allows home customers who’ve lost their BT broadband connection to use their mobile internet as a substitute until their broadband is restored.
According to the Keep Connected Promise, BT Plus customer who finds that their BT home broadband isn’t functioning can report the fault to BT, who will then switch their BT mobiles to free, unlimited data within the hour. BT will also send out a free 4G Wi-Fi Mini Hub to be delivered the day after the report is made. The hub will come with unlimited data and thus allow customers to stay connected to the internet until the fault with their broadband is resolved.