O2 5G is now available in 20 UK cities

(Image credit: O2)

O2’s 5G network is now available in 20 major UK towns and cities, fulfilling a pledge to cover a score of locations before the end of 2019.

The operator switched on its first 5G masts in October, covering the four UK capitals – Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London – as well as Leeds and its home of Slough in Berkshire.

Leicester and Lisburn joined the party the following month.

O2 5G coverage

Now O2 5G has launched in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford, Sheffield, Coventry, Nottingham, Norwich, Bristol, Derby and Stoke, significantly expanding the reach of the service.

The next milestone will be 50 locations, a figure which O2 expects to reach by the summer. It has confirmed Windsor, Eton, Reading, Blackpool, Bournemouth and Guildford will be switched on by end of March.

“We were incredibly proud to switch on our 5G network in October, and it is brilliant to hit our target of 20 towns and cities connected to our next-generation network,” declared O2 COO Derek McManus.

“I believe 5G is going to revolutionise the way people and businesses use mobile connectivity, unlocking huge possibilities for our economy and society. We’re excited about getting it into the hands of our customers across the UK, and continuing to work with our partners to help shape the future of 5G for the next generation.”

EE was the first UK operator to launch 5G back in May with Vodafone following later that summer. Three also has a 5G network but this is currently limited to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband.

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
Privacy Hero II VPN Router
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box 7690 router review
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal rugged tablet review
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 rugged tablet review
Latest in News
Ransomware
Cl0p resurgence drives ransomware attacks to new highs in 2025
Millwall FC The Den
The UK's first football club mobile network is here - but you probably won't guess which team has launched it
The Witcher 4
You're probably not playing The Witcher 4 until 2027 at the earliest, per CD Projekt's latest financial update
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Air looks impressively slim in this new comparison image, but that just makes me more worried about the specs
Matt Murdock smiling in Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 and Kamala Khan looking stunned in The Marvels
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just revealed what Kamala Khan has been up to since The Marvels, and now I'm more excited for the next superhero team to appear in the MCU
Google Pixel Watch 3, 41mm and 45mm
Google says it will fix broken Wear OS 5.1 update, but why does this keep happening?