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Internet, Networking, & Security 5G 230

5G Availability Around the World

Most countries already have limited access to 5G networks
by Tim Fisher Updated on March 03, 2021 reviewed by Christine Baker

5G is the newest wireless networking technology that phones, smartwatches,

5G cars, and other mobile devices, and who knows what else, will use in the
Browsers coming years, but it's not yet available in every region around the world.
Cloud Services
As of February 2021, over 30% of the world's countries have 5G. Some estimates
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forecast that by 2026, 5G subscriptions will reach 3.5 billion.
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Home Networking
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Tip: For daily updates on how 5G is developing around the globe, see
5G: The Latest News & Updates. Also, check out which 5G phones are
available right now and when others are coming.

North America 5G Close

North Americans have been seeing 5G networks pop up in sporadic places for
Have something helpful to add? Leave a comment below!
a couple of years now, limited in scope mostly due to the elemental challenges Moderated by Lifewire staff.
of 5G networks. Estimates say that by 2023, up to 32 percent of North American
mobile connections will be on a 5G network.

UNITED STATES

5G fixed wireless broadband internet from Verizon and others is currently

available at a handful of locations, and Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have
mobile 5G services available in various cities. More areas will get at-home and
mobile 5G this year, from those companies and others like U.S. Cellular.

When Is 5G Coming to the US? (Updated for 2021)

CANADA

Rogers Communications began rolling out a 5G network in early 2020 after

investing over $4 billion USD on 5G in 2019. The new network currently covers
130 towns and cities. Learn more about the plans Rogers has for 5G to see
when they expect a live network around the country.

Telus Mobility began rolling out their network in June 2020, in Vancouver,
Montreal, the Greater Toronto Area, and other locations.

In December 2020, Videotron began offering its new network, beginning with
customers in in Montreal.

When Is 5G Coming to Canada? (Updated for 2021)

MEXICO

In late 2017, the Mexican telecommunications company América Móvil

announced the release of 4.5 networks in anticipation of a 5G release.

PUERTO RICO

Wireless provider Claro began testing 5G in Puerto Rico in 2019.

Central America 5G
Central American countries will most likely see a slow 5G rollout.

HONDURAS

Ericsson announced in December 2018, that Tigo had chosen the company to
modernize its radio access network. The deal "includes the provision of a 5G-
ready multi-standard network."

There's no word on when 5G will reach Honduras but this agreement is an

important first step. Their first 4.5G site arrived in mid-2020, which is another
stepping stone closer to a full rollout.

South America 5G
South American countries with the greatest populations began to see 5G come
out in spurts beginning in late 2019.

CHILE

Entel is the largest telecommunications company in Chile and has partnered

with Ericsson to bring 5G wireless service to Chilean customers.

5G Americas' Latin America director José Otero says:

Chile has the necessary infrastructure in high-capacity capacity centers to

support a 5G launch. This technology should arrive in Chile no later than
2020 or 2021.

ARGENTINA

Movistar and Ericsson tested 5G systems in 2017 and will likely roll it out to
customers around the same time that Chile sees 5G.

BRAZIL

Vivo's network became available in eight cities by July 2020.

Tim got its 5G network up and running in three cities by September 2020.

Claro is another company working on 5G. They first launched the network on
July 14, 2020, but it's currently restricted to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

COLOMBIA

Telefónica Telecom, Colombia's largest telecommunications company, ran trials

throughout 2020 and might launch in early 2021.

In July 2018, Ericsson and Telefónica Telecom demonstrated a 5G data transfer

of 27 Gbps in Bogotá.

PARAGUAY

Tigo reached a deal with Ericsson to prepare their network for 5G. Ericsson said
in December 2018, that they will

expand TIGO’s existing network and modernize the existing 2G/3G and 4G
sites, making the network the best fit for TIGO to deliver 5G and IoT services
in the future.

It's not yet clear when Tigo customers will see 5G in Paraguay, but this deal is
definitely a good starting point.

ARUBA

SETAR is Aruba's leading communications provider, and through a partnership

with Nokia, the two expect full coverage on the island by 2022.

Asia 5G
5G is live in a handful of areas, with widespread coverage expected this year.

SOUTH KOREA

These three South Korean companies collaborated to bring mobile 5G to the

country on December 1, 2018: SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT. They began with
5G service for select businesses only, but on April 5, opened up 5G for others,
too, via the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.

The SK Telecom service provider started offering 5G service to a wide

population on April 5 via their four 5G plans. This came after the company
started a limited 5G service with the Myunghwa Industry manufacturing
company. SKT's 5G service plans come after trialing 5G in 2017 and using 5G in
their self-driving test site K-City.

LG Uplus' 5G network went live in Seoul and surrounding locations, with LS

Mtron as their first customer. With over 4,000 5G base stations positioned in
Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi, the company planned over 7,000 more to be
deployed by the end of 2018.

KT Corporation launched pre-commercial 5G services at Lotte World Tower in

Seoul and six other areas including Jeju, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo. On April 5 of
2019, they launched unlimited 5G services, and expanded coverage to a total of
85 cities by the end of 2019.

KT previously collaborated with Intel to showcase 5G service at the 2018

Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, and plans to invest over $20 billion
through 2023 in 5G and other innovative technologies.

According to the ICT and Broadcasting Technology Policy director at the

Ministry of Science and ICT, Heo Won-seok, 90 percent of the country's mobile
users will be on a 5G network by 2026.

When Is 5G Coming to South Korea? (Updated for 2021)

JAPAN

NTT DOCOMO is Japan’s largest wireless carrier. They've been studying and
experimenting with 5G since 2010 and launched pre-commercial 5G services in
September 2019 before officially launching on March 25, 2020.

au by KDDI launched their 5G network on March 26, 2020.

SoftBank began its 5G services on March 27 for 1,000 yen /month ($9 USD).

Rakuten Mobile launched 5G on September 30, 2020. It costs 2,980 yen /month
($28 USD).

CHINA

Three wireless carriers launched 5G in China on October 31, 2019: China

Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom.

However, these companies don't provide widespread 5G coverage just yet. The
most popular areas that have it right now include Beijing, Shanghai, and
Shenzhen.

3 Hong Kong launched 5G on April 1, 2020. According to the press release, it

covers indoor and outdoor areas in all districts in Hong Kong.

SmarTone launched theirs in Hong Kong in May 2020. Territory-wide coverage

is expected by mid-2021.

When Is 5G Coming to China? (Updated for 2021)

QATAR

According to Ooredoo, a telecom company in Qatar that has been working on

implementing 5G since 2016, they were the first company in the world to
provide commercial 5G access. In partnership with Ericsson, they'll also use 5G
for home broadband service.

Vodafone is another company providing 5G in Qatar. In late 2018, they

launched in Katara Cultural Village and Souq Waqif, and before that, in Abu
Hamour, Azizya, Al Mamoura, Al Rayyan, Salwa Road, and Umm Salal
Mohammed. Vodafone Qatar offers unlimited 5G plans and a handful of 5G
phones.

KUWAIT

Two telecommunication companies in Kuwait have launched 5G service.

Zain was the first, announcing the launch in June 2018. You can sign up here for
a plan that includes as little as 50 GB or as much as 2 TB. There are lots of
devices you can use on their network, including the 5G Bold router, some
Samsung phones, Huawei Mate 20X 5G, and others.

On the same day, just hours later, Ooredoo announced similar news. Their SIM-
only 5G plans allow anything from 500 GB up to 3 TB of data usage.

STC (formerly called VIVA) is another telecom company in Kuwait that has
launched 5G services. You have to subscribe to one of their 5G plans in order to
use it.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UAE 5G became available via Etisalat on May 30, 2019. There are several 5G
phones available for purchase; see where you can access the network here. In
late 2020, they opened up 5G services for home users on fixed-line networks.

5G is also available from du. They announced in early 2019 the rollout of 700
5G sites. Their partners include Nokia and Huawei. Check current and future
deployments of the new network on their 5G coverage map, and see their
device options here.

Virgin Mobile, a brand also operated under du, is another 5G-ready company
deploying this next-gen network across the UAE. See which 5G phones they
have available.

OMAN

Omantel offers mobile 5G services. View plans and compatible devices here.

INDIA

In 2018, one of India's largest telecom providers (then called Idea Cellular)
merged with Vodafone and is now called Vi. Vodafone was already preparing
for 5G, having set up "future ready technology" in 2017 by upgrading their
entire network to support it.

Bharti Airtel announced in early 2021 that their network is 5G ready.

Reliance Jio is another mobile network operator in India that plans to provide
5G in the second half of 2021. They're also intending on releasing their own 5G
handsets.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is another. They signed a memorandum

of understanding with Ciena, a networking systems company, in early 2019 to
prepare its network for 5G.

A test network was erected in 2020 from Cavil Wireless.

INDONESIA

Anyone who attended the Asian Games in 2018 could have tried out 5G in
Jakarta, Indonesia. A special Telkomsel SIM card was needed in order to
connect to the network.

It's unclear when Indonesia will see commercial 5G begin to roll out, but a trial
of this size was a great indicator that they're on a track of some sort. Plus, the
company has partnered with Ericsson to upgrade their network in preparation
for 5G.

TURKEY

Turkcell is Turkey's largest mobile phone operator. In early 2017, the company
completed a 24.7 Gb/s 5G trial with Ericsson, and in September of 2018
announced an agreement with Nokia to develop 5G technologies.

It's clear that Turkcell is on the right path to providing Turkey with 5G, but it's
unclear when, exactly, customers can expect a live network.

In 2019, the company trialed 5G fixed wireless access solutions with Samsung in
Istanbul. Turkcell's CEO commented that:

Today, with 5G, we have shown that the latest generation of high-speed
wireless access is now possible for our customers.

In early 2019, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK)

in Turkey approved 5G trials in Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. The companies
involved include Turkcell, Vodafone Turkey, and TT Mobil.

Turk Telekom is another company looking into bringing 5G to Turkey.

VIETNAM

According to the country's state-owned and largest telecom company, Viettel,

5G trials were run in 2019, and a commercial trial launched in late 2020.

Mobifone is another mobile network operator that plans to launch 5G in

Vietnam. The latest update is a speed milestone made during testing in Ho Chi
Minh City in November 2020.

IRAN

There are a few mobile network operators in Iran, the largest of which is Mobile
Telecommunication Company of Iran (MCI). MCI currently offers "4.5G"
internet, which shows that they're on a path to providing 5G. They signed an
agreement with Nokia in 2017 to develop the new technology, and in early 2021
confirmed that the new network should be up and running soon.

Iran's second-largest provider, Irancell, provides both mobile and fixed wireless
internet services. A commercial network launched in early 2021 in Tehran. This
followed their first 5G test at the same location in 2017 and another in 2020 with
emphasis on scientific research and urban development. The plan is to quickly
expand to other locations like Mashhad, Shiraz, and Kish.

ISRAEL

5G became available from Pelephone, Partner, and HOT Mobile in September

2020.

THAILAND

Advanced Info Service (AIS), the country's largest mobile phone operator,
launched 5G in Thailand in 2020. It's currently available in over 77 provinces.

You can also get service through TrueMove H, via several 5G devices.

TAIWAN

Several companies have launched 5G in Taiwan: Chunghwa Telecom, the

largest telecom company in the country, launched 5G on July 1, 2020. Taiwan
Star followed in August 2020, and Asia Pacific Telecom in October 2020.

FarEasTone has deployed 2,000 5G base stations.

SINGAPORE

StarHub announced in 2018 that they, in partnership with Nokia, completed

their first outdoor pilot of 5G on the 3.5 GHz frequency band. Now, their
network covers over 50% of the country. See their 5G Network page for details
on where you can get access.

Singtel has launched their network as well. Visit their website to see where it's
available now and where it's headed.

In fact, all four telcos will offer 5G in Singapore, including M1 and TPG Telecom.

PHILIPPINES

Smart has been testing 5G since 2016. They announced in 2018 the launch of
5G TehnoLab, and the network became available commercially in business
districts of Metro Manila in July 2020, and then in all Metropolitan Manila cities
in early 2021.

Globe Telecom has a 5G fixed wireless broadband service called Globe At

Home Air Fiber 5G, offering speeds up to 100 Mbps and data packages as
large as 2 TB. Mobile service is available in several areas.

NOW Telecom is another company planning to deploy 5G in the Philippines.

BANGLADESH

Although Bangladesh is one of the top 10 most populous countries in the world,
it was very slow to roll out 4G and will likely also take much longer than other
countries to implement 5G.

BTCL and Banglalink are two companies to watch for 5G in Bangladesh.

MALAYSIA

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at one

time anticipated 5G deployment to take place by the third quarter of 2020, but
the newest report is that they're not expecting adoption until 2022.

TM deployed 5G base stations in Malaysia Agro Exposition Park and some

other locations in early 2020. These are FWA terminals that support speeds of
up to 500 Mbps.

In early 2019, Maxis and Huawei and U Mobile and ZTE signed MoUs to
collaborate on 5G deployment in Malaysia. You could use their service in
Berjaya Times Square during a trial period, but it ended in 2020.

PAKISTAN

5G might go live for consumers this year given that the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority prepared for public 5G trials in 2019. However,
some estimates are leaning more toward 2022-2023.

Another tip that the new technology is coming is that the country's 4G pioneer
Zong also became the first company in the country to test 5G services.

Telenor Pakistan is looking into 5G as well, but no dates have been announced.

SAUDI ARABIA

5G has been available in Saudi Arabia through Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
since June 2019, but only in specific areas of major cities and only through
home routers (no mobile option, yet). See their 5G page for details on plans
and devices.

According to the company's CEO:

5G is considered as a very important step toward digitalization and

connecting everything, which supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 toward
economic diversification.

The 5G release took place months after the company reached a deal with
Ericsson to launch it in the country. STC has also partnered with Nokia to roll
out the network; they announced in early 2019 that the rollout phase had
already started.

Another 5G provider in Saudi Arabia is Zain. Dozens of locations have 5G

access, including Riyadh, Al Khobar, Dhahran, Tabuk, Hail, Sabya, Ahad
Rafidah, Taif, Bisha, Najran, Qurayyat, Ras Tanura, Jaizan, Tabarjal, Buqayq,
Jubail, and Hafar Al-Batin. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G and Axon 10
Pro 5G are a couple of Zain's 5G products.

Mobily 5G is another option. Use their coverage checker to see if you can get
5G where you are. In addition to their mobile 5G plan is 5G internet Home
plans.

BAHRAIN

Three providers offer 5G services in Bahrain, making it one of the first countries
to have nationwide coverage.

5G arrived in July 2019 when STC (previously called VIVA) launched their 5G
data plans. You can get mobile 5G from STC with one of their 5G phones, or 5G
at home with the 5G router. The service is available in areas like Reef Island,
Amwaj Islands, and Riffa Views.

Batelco is another company with 5G. They chose Ericsson to provide the
necessary equipment. Coverage reaches 95% of the nation's population.

Zain launched their network on June 29, 2020.

KAZAKHSTAN

5G in Kazakhstan isn't coming as soon as other countries. However, according

to Prime Minister Askar Mamin, it's definitely in sight, calling for an "Action Plan
for the implementation of 5G in Kazakhstan."

Askar Mamin said in a meeting held in May 2019, that 5G is expected to cover
all Kazakhstan settlements that have a population greater than 50 thousand
people.

In October 2019, the VEON telecom company launched a 5G trial on a live

network.

SRI LANKA

The country's second-largest mobile network operator, Mobitel, has been

working on 5G for years. In early 2017, they partnered with Ericsson with the
signing of the 5G Island of Innovation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),
and in 2019, invested $50 million USD to roll out the new network in Sri Lanka.

However, as of mid-2020, they don't yet have any 5G plans available for
customers.

CAMBODIA

Service provider Smart Axiata will most likely be the first company to launch 5G
in Cambodia. They were the first service provider to make 4G available in the
country in 2014 and followed up in 2019 by showcasing the country's first 5G live
trial. They expect the first few years of their 5G rollout in Cambodia to be
focused on hotspots in major cities.

Viettel Cambodia (MetFone) is another company launching 5G in Cambodia, in

partnership with Telecom Cambodia.

TAJIKISTAN

Tcell received its 5G license in 2019 and turned on its first 5G base station in
Dushanbe in August 2020.

Africa 5G
5G is available in several African countries.

SOUTH AFRICA

Vodacom Group, which was the first to introduce 4G, 3G, and 2G in South
Africa, is at it again with the release of a 5G. In May 2020, they turned on 5G in
Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town. Wider coverage is expected
throughout the year.

Rain is another South African telecom that's rolling out 5G. From November 11,
2019 and onward, Rain customers can access the 5G network from home in
parts of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Cape Town, with more areas continually
becoming available. Check 5G service in South Africa with the Rain coverage
map.

MTN Group Limited partnered with Ericsson in November 2018, to deploy a

fixed wireless access 5G site in Midrand. Their 5G network is currently running
in a few areas.

NIGERIA

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has indicated that 5G was

planned to be rolled out in 2020. We don't currently have any other details.

SENEGAL

Free (formerly Tigo Senegal) and Ericsson are working together to upgrade its
network to roll out LTE across 1,000 sites. While this isn't 5G service, it is an
important stepping stone.

EGYPT

Although a 5G release date for Egypt isn't yet known, Telecom Egypt and Nokia
agreed in early 2019 to introduce a 5G network.

MOROCCO

The telecom company Inwi, which covers over 90 percent of the country with
mobile internet access, is bringing 5G to Morocco.

The two other licensed telecom companies in Morocco are Orange Morocco
and Maroc Telecom, but both have been silent on a 5G deployment in the
country.

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The release date for 5G in the Congo is unclear, but according to Léon Juste
Ibombo, the country's minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital
Economy, we know that the 5G rollout will involve Applus and Congo Telecom:

Investments in Congo’s telecommunications sector are astronomical and the

state needs credible companies to help it implement the digital economy
ecosystem. This company will help our incumbent operator, Congo Telecom,
to implement 5G.

TUNISIA

Ooredoo Tunisia has partnered with Nokia through the use of the company's
AirGile cloud-first core, to transition Ooredoo to a place where it can provide
Tunisia customers with 5G.

KENYA

Safaricom at one point planned to launch 5G in Nairobi but has since

suspended the rollout to focus on 4G.

Airtel Kenya and Nokia came to an agreement in November 2020 to start laying
the foundations for 5G in Nairobi.

MADAGASCAR

5G arrived in Antananarivo and Toamasina on June 26, 2020, via Telma.

UGANDA

ZTE and MTN Uganda launched the first 5G SA network in Nyonyi Garden,
Kampala, Uganda, on January 21, 2020.

LESOTHO

Vodafone Lesotho has a standards-based commercial 5G network available for

two clients in the banking and mining industries. The network will be expanded
to include other customers in the future.

TOGO

Nokia and Togocom began deploying 5G in West Africa with the introduction of
the network in Togo's capital Lomé.

Europe 5G
5G networks are live right now in some European countries, and others will get
5G during 2021.

NORWAY

Telenor, the country's biggest telecom operator, launched 5G in Norway in

March 2020, following early testing from 2017. These locations are just a few
that currently have access to the 5G network: Oslo, Kongsberg, Elverum, Bodø,
Askvoll, Fornebu, Kvitfjell, and Trondheim.

Telia Company is another mobile network operator in Norway that opened its
first 5G test network in December 2018. In May 2020, Telia launched 5G for
customers in Lillestrøm and parts of Groruddalen in Oslo. In June 2020, they
began allowing 5G roaming for customers in Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
November 2020 was when they began offering 5G FWA; speeds of up to 300
Mbps are supported.

GERMANY

According to the 5G Strategy for Germany, released by Germany's Federal

Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), trial installations began
in 2018 with a commercial launch in 2020. 5G is planned to be rolled out "over
the period to 2025."

Deutsche Telekom rolled out 5G in Germany in Berlin, Darmstadt, Munich,

Bonn, and Cologne in September 2019. Connectivity is possible through devices
like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Huawei Mate 20 X 5G. Over 3,000 towns
and municipalities have access, and they plan to cover 90 percent of the
country with 5G by 2025.

Another German telecom company that has launched 5G services in the

country is Vodafone. They turned on their first 25 base stations on July 16, 2019,
added Berlin a month later, and currently cover 10 million people with the new
network. Customers can use 5G with a compatible phone.

Telefónica Germany's O2 launched 5G in five cities on October 3, 2020: Berlin,

Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, and Cologne.

German service provider United Internet AG is another potential 5G player,

having announced in early 2019 that they'd be taking part in a 5G spectrum
auction.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Vodafone provides 5G to customers in various cities, including Karlovy Vary,

Prague, Brno, Usti nad Labem, and Jesenik. Service began rolling out in
October 2020.

Another provider with an existing 5G network in the country is O2. See their
coverage map for details.

T-Mobile's new network started in two locations on November 1, 2020: Prague

and Brno.

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK's largest network operator, EE, was the first to launch 5G in the UK on
May 30, 2019. Service started in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast,
Birmingham, and Manchester, and the company now operates the 5G network
in 125 cities and towns.

EE was also the first in the world to offer the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G smartphone, but
they also offer their customers Samsung, OPPO, Huawei, and other 5G phones.

Vodafone UK is another big mobile telecommunications provider. After testing

how 5G can be used in car communications and successfully completing a
holographic phone call using 5G, they launched their fifth-gen network in
seven cities on July 3, 2019. The current total stands at 100 locations across the
UK.

Through an MVNO partnership with Vodafone, Virgin Media also offers 5G

services. Beginning January 25, 2021, 100 towns and cities got access.

After announcing their commitment to invest billions in 5G, UK's Three launched
5G, accessible first with a phone from Huawei. After testing 5G for home use,
they also launched their 5G home broadband service in London. Three has a
list of everywhere you can get their mobile 5G in the UK.

BT Mobile launched 5G services in the UK on October 11, 2019, in 20 cities, but

has since expanded to 80 (it uses the EE network). Check out their coverage
map.

O2 has a 5G network in the United Kingdom, too. It's currently available in 60

locations, including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Leeds, Slough,
Leicester, Lisburn, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle,
Bradford, Sheffield, Bristol, and other locations. There are several 5G phones
you can use.

Tesco Mobile uses O2's network and also began offering 5G to its customers in
early 2020.

Sky Mobile launched 5G in parts of several locations, including Belfast, Cardiff,

Edinburgh, London, Slough, Sheffield, Coventry, Nottingham, Bristol, Derby, and
others.

When Is 5G Coming to the UK? (Updated for 2021)

ITALY

Vodafone launched 5G in Italy in these five cities in June 2019: Naples, Bologna,
Milan, Turin, and Rome. The company has since rolled out 5G to other cities.
There are several 5G phones you can buy through Vodafone's website.

TIM (Telecom Italia), the largest telecom provider in Italy, made 5G available in
Naples, Rome, and Turin as of July 5, 2019. Their 5G network went live in another
six cities before the start of 2020: Milan, Bologna, Verona, Florence, Matera,
and Bari. As of 2021, up to 120 towns and cities are covered with their network.

Iliad began offering 5G services in late December 2020.

SWITZERLAND

The first 5G network in Switzerland went live April 17, 2019, via Swisscom. It
launched in 54 towns, including Basel, Bern, Chur, Davos, Geneva, Lausanne,
and Zurich. According to Swisscom, more than 90 percent of the population is
covered.

Swisscom currently offers several phones compatible with the new network,
from companies like Samsung, LG, and OPPO. These devices will work
everywhere there's 5G service from Swisscom, through an inOne mobile
subscription.

The country's second-largest telecommunications company, Sunrise, has

currently covered several hundred locations with 5G. They ran an ultrafast, 3.28
Gbps 5G test in late 2017, erected their first 5G antenna in mid-2018, and then
in November 2018, made live their first standardized 5G network at a ski resort.

Salt (formerly Orange Communications) is another telecom company planning

5G in Switzerland. They revealed in January 2019 that they selected Nokia to
upgrade their radio and mobile core network to provide mobile 5G services.

SPAIN

Vodafone Spain was the first operator to launch 5G in Spain. On June 15, it
became available to customers in A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao, Gijón, Logroño,
Madrid, Malaga, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Santander, Seville, Valencia, Vigo,
Vitoria, and Zaragoza. See if your specific address has access with the
Vodafone Mobile Coverage Map.

According to Vodafone, 5G speeds at launch could reach up to 1 Gbps. You

need a 5G phone from Vodafone Spain to access the network.

Telefónica turned on their 5G network on September 1, 2020. At launch, it was

available in all the autonomous communities, and 75 percent of the population
received access before the end of 2020.

On September 7, 2020, Orange launched their network in Madrid, Barcelona,

Valencia, Seville, and Malaga. It currently covers 120+ towns and cities. Use this
map to see where.

MasMovil will have a 5G network as well but only just began their trial on
September 9, 2020, in 15 cities. They'll provide it through their Yoigo subsidiary
and via Orange's towers.

AUSTRIA

Network operator A1 kicked off their path toward 5G in Austria by making their

first 5G data connection in Gmünd in early January 2019. See their 5G plans
and phones here.

Magenta Telekom (previously called T-Mobile Austria) is deploying 5G mobile

base stations across the country following a 110 MHz spectrum purchase in
March 2019. It currently covers 1,200 locations. See their 5G plans here.

Hutchison Three Austria and ZTE are deploying 5G in Austria, too. Their first
business client was in Linz, and with 20 5G sites set up by June 2019, it marked
Austria's first city with continuous 5G coverage. Several locations are currently
covered with the network, which you can see here.

FINLAND

Elisa Oyj opened a commercial 5G network in Tampere in June 2018, claiming

to be "first in world to launch commercial 5G." According to their coverage map,
the network is also located in Oulu, Kuopio, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, and other areas.
See their unlimited plans that offer speeds up to 1,000 Mbps (they require a
compatible phone).

Telia revealed in early December 2018, that Helsinki Airport became the first 5G
airport in the world and their first customer using their pre-commercial 5G
network. In early 2019, the company began commercial use of its 5G network in
three cities and has since expanded to include several more. See the Telia 5G
devices you can buy right now for mobile and FWA 5G access.

DNA is another Finnish company offering 5G. They began a fixed wireless
access service in December, 2019; see their phones here. However, they say
that even with the introduction of 5G, 4G will remain the primary network
technology used by most people.

RUSSIA

Beeline, Nokia, and Qualcomm launched a 5G test pilot in Saint Petersburg in

August 2020.

In 2018, Russia's largest mobile operator, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), partnered

with Samsung to run various 5G tests that included video calls, ultra-low
latency video games, and 4K video streaming. These were performed to show
that not only is 5G coming but that Samsung's 5G routers, tablets, and other
devices are fully capable of running on a 5G network. They also opened a
private 5G network in early 2020.

According to GSMA, 5G networks will cover over 80 percent of the Russian

population by 2025, so it can be assumed that a big portion of the country will
have access even sooner.

Another indicator that 5G is coming sooner than later is the 5G research center
that's open in Innopolis, a high-tech city in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Tele2 Russia, in collaboration with Ericsson, announced in 2019 that they'd

deploy 50,000 base stations. However, the CEO says "Before launching 5G
networks, Russia must first address several infrastructure issues.", so customers
might have to wait a while to receive 5G services.

LUXEMBOURG

Orange is currently the only European telecommunications company that has

announced 5G plans for Luxembourg. See their 5G devices here.

SLOVAKIA

SWAN Mobile signed a 5G commercial contract with ZTE in early 2019 to kick
off their rollout plans. Later that year, SWAN announced that the first 5G
network in the country had launched.

In early 2020, Orange Slovensko selected Nokia to prepare its Radio Access
Network for 5G.

O2 Slovakia launched a commercial 5G pilot in a handful of Bratislava

neighborhoods in October 2020. The company announced in 2021 that Ericsson
would be their partner for building out the network.

Slovak Telekom selected Ericsson to deliver its 5G Radio Access Network and
switch on 5G commercial services as of December, 2020.

SLOVENIA

Telekom Slovenia launched their 5G network on July 23, 2020. It's available in
several locations throughout the country.

IRELAND

The telecom giant Vodafone went live with a 5G network in Cork, Dublin,
Galway, Limerick, and Waterford on August 13, 2019. Check up-to-date
availability on Vodafone's 5G page.

Vodafone is also working on fixed wireless access. In early December 2018, the
company announced that they would begin trials for rural 5G broadband in
Roscommon, Gorey, Dungarvan, and Clonmel, covering 20,000 premises.

eir's network is live as well. Its 5G locations include Dublin, Limerick, Kilkenny,
Waterford, Cork, Galway, Dundalk, and more. There's a coverage map here
that shows the new network and their 4G, 3G, and 2G coverage.

Imagine is another company bringing 5G to Ireland. They announced the

launch of their 5G-ready fixed broadband network in February 2019 and built
out hundreds of sites to cover over one million premises by the fall of 2020.

CEO Sean Bolger had this to say about their 5G plan:

As an Irish company, we are delighted to announce this significant

investment and a new approach which will finally solve this problem and
deliver much needed, fast and reliable high-speed broadband to homes,
businesses and communities across regional and rural Ireland, today and
into the future.

Three Ireland is launching a 5G network in the country, too, but it's not clear
when.

FAROE ISLANDS

Føroya Tele, the Faroe Islands' largest telecom provider, launched 5G on June 6,
2019.

CHANNEL ISLANDS

Jersey Telecom (JT) and ZTE have announced that 5G is coming to the Channel
Islands. They began a pre-commercial launch in mid-2019 to test it out.

Cyprus
The first 5G network was brought to life in January 2021 via Cytamobile-
Vodafone.

Our 5G network already covers 70% of the population. It’s available in all
cities, tourist areas and other, large communities as well as highways and is
constantly expanding with the goal of providing comprehensive population
coverage and extensive geographical coverage by the end of 2021.

BELARUS

beCloud launched a 5G test site in the capital, Minsk, in early 2020. They
claimed record speeds for the country at 1.9 Gbps.

ROMANIA

The Romanian government approved the 5G Strategy in June of 2019.

The 5G Strategy for Romania projects an action plan with concrete tasks and
deadlines for deployment, targeting the launch of services in 2020 and 5G
service coverage of all urban centers and major land transport routes by
2025.

On June 26, 2019, Vodafone Romania launched the country's first 5G

subscriptions. All the details, and the 5G phones you can buy, are available on
their Supernet 5G page.

RCS & RDS is the largest Romanian cable and satellite TV company, and they
also have 5G available through the Digi Mobil 5G Smart network.

Orange launched 5G in Romania in November 2019. Coverage started in

Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Iasi. See the Orange 5G coverage map for
details.

BULGARIA

VIVACOM was the first operator to bring 5G to the country. It's available in the
central urban areas of all 27 regional cities.

A1 Bulgaria launched 5G in the country's capital Sofia in November 2020. The

plan is to cover all cities of over 10,000 people with the network and offer
speeds over 1 Gbps.

Although it hasn't officially launched yet, Telenor ran 5G tests in 2019 as a

precursor to their upcoming network.

GREECE

In late December, 2020, the country's largest tech company, OTE Group,
launched 5G in Athens and other big cities. The plan is for over 50% of the
country to be covered by 5G by the end of 2021.

HUNGARY

Magyar Telekom, the largest Hungarian telecom company, launched 5G in

Hungary in April 2020. Service began in parts of Budapest and Zalaegerszeg.

Vodafone is another company launching 5G in Hungary. In May of 2019, they

released the country's first live 5G station in Zalaegerszeg, and they currently
provide access in Budapest as well.

CROATIA

Hrvatski Telekom launched their network in 2020. Follow that link to see the
current cities the 5G network covers, including a map and number of Croatians
that have access to the network.

Another mobile operator to watch is A1 Hrvatska.

SWEDEN

A Tele2 5G network launched in Sweden on May 24, 2020. Stockholm's inner city
was the first to see it but dozens of other locations have access now and more
will become available throughout 2021. Speeds of over 1 Gbps are possible.

Telia launched commercial 5G as well, on May 25, 2020. The network is

available in Stockholm City Center, including Norrmalm, Östermalm, and
Vasastan, as well as other locations.

Three is another Swedish 5G network available. You can see the different
launch phases they have planned and where you can get 5G right now, on their
5G at Three page.

Telenor launched 5G in central Stockholm on October 29, 2020, with speeds

over 1 Gbps. It reaches from Roslagstull to Skanstull, Djurgården to
Kungsholmen. The plan is to complete the network expansion in 2023 and cover
more than 99 percent of Sweden's population with 5G.

POLAND

T-Mobile Polska announced on December 7, 2018, the launch of the country's

first 5G network. It was initially available only in the center of Warsaw via five
base stations, but as of June 9, 2020, customers can connect to the network
across its 1,600 base stations.

Polkomtel's Plus mobile phone network operator began offering 5G in Poland

on May 11, 2020. The first 100 5G base stations, deployed in these seven cities,
covered around 900 thousand people: Warsaw, Gdańsk, Katowice, Łódź,
Poznań, Szczecin, and Wrocław. A Nokia partnership in late 2020 is another
part of their nationwide rollout plan.

5G is also available from Play in Warsaw, Wrocław, and other locations. Check
their coverage map for details.

Orange is another mobile network operator that launched 5G in Poland on July

1, 2020. Locations include Warsaw, Łódź, Płock, Poznań, Wrocław, Upper
Silesian Industrial District, Kraków, Kielce, Opole, Częstochowa, Rzeszów, and
Bielsko Biała.

PORTUGAL

Vodafone brought Portugal its first 5G connection on December 12, 2018, via a
5G smartphone prototype from Qualcomm. The company also tested a virtual
reality game and video call on Ericsson's 5G network.

ANACOM, the country's communications regulator, has authorized 5G tests and

expects commercial rollouts in 2021, following a 5G auction.

Dense Air launched 5G in Cascais, in the Lisbon District, in late 2020.

FRANCE

Bouygues Telecom first began offering 5G services in December 2020, starting

off in 20 major locations across the country. Check coverage here.

5G is also available from Free Mobile, SFR, and Orange.

ESTONIA

The country's first 5G test network went live in December 2018 via Telia
Company, TalTech University, and Ericsson, but it was just a testbed. Telia
Company officially launched commercial 5G in November 2020.

The network runs through Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, and several other locations.

LATVIA

One company bringing 5G to Latvia is Tele2. They launched their first 5G base
station in Riga in July 2019, made their first 5G video call a few months later,
have released 5G phones, and began offering their network in Daugavpils and
Jelgava in early 2020. They plan to install base stations in 13 additional cities in
2021.

DENMARK

TDC launched 5G on September 7, 2020, and completed their nationwide

rollout just a few months later, enabling 90% of the population to reach the
network.

3 Denmark had a network up and running in parts of Copenhagen before 2021

that will reach countrywide status by the summer of 2022. Speeds currently sit
at around 1 Gbps.

Telia and Telenor also launched 5G in 2020, starting in Copenhagen and

Aalborg and followed by Aarhus and Odense.

AZERBAIJAN

In early 2019, Azercell chose Ericsson in a two-year 5G deal to provide the

telecom company with radio equipment and related services. In November
2019, they launched their first 5G network in Azerbaijan.

ICELAND

Síminn is the leading provider of wireless communication services in Iceland.

They announced in early 2019 that they'd be partnering with Ericsson to deploy
5G-ready equipment to the country.

THE NETHERLANDS

VodafoneZiggo launched 5G across more than half of the Netherlands with

Ericsson Spectrum Sharing in April 2020 and officially announced nationwide
coverage on July 20, 2020 (see the coverage map).

T-Mobile acquired the necessary spectrum to roll out their network several
days before launching 5G on July 28, 2020. See their 5G from T-Mobile page for
more on how to get it.

KPN's 5G network went live on July 28, 2020, from parts of Amsterdam and The
Hague to Southern Eindhoven and several areas in between. This, they say,
reaches nearly half of the population. See their 5G map here.

However, 5G-level speeds aren't expected for a couple of years:

The first 5G connections will not be much faster than 4G. However, in 2022,
when the Dutch service providers will bid for the high-speed frequencies at
auction, everything will speed up significantly.

MONACO

Monaco Telecom customers have access to 5G across all of the Principality of

Monaco via the Huawei Mate 20 X and the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. Full coverage of
the entire country was completed in July 2019.

BELGIUM

Proximus is the largest mobile telecommunications company in Belgium. Take a

look at their 5G network coverage map for all the details on where you can get
service. You'll need a 5G mobile subscription as well as a 5G phone that works
on the Proximus network, such as the Oppo Find X2 Pro 5G.

In 2019, Orange and Proximus agreed to set up a shared mobile access

network, a move that could mean 5G reaches across Belgium even faster.

MALTA

epic (formerly branded Vodafone Malta) doesn't have a solid 5G release date
yet, but they're working on bringing 5G to Malta. On October 4, 2019, they
began letting customers try out 5G in areas of Birkirkara, St Julians, and Sliema.

Oceania 5G
Most major countries in Oceania saw a limited 5G roll-out in 2019 with greater
availability arriving in 2021.

AUSTRALIA

Australia's second largest telecommunications company, Optus, launched 5G

for mobile and home use on November 4, 2019. The launch involved over 290
5G sites in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and other
locations in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. See the Optus 5G coverage map
for current details on their mobile and home service.

Telstra announced in August 2018, that they had enabled 5G technology in

areas of the Gold Coast, giving the state of Queensland the country's first 5G-
ready network. They also enabled 5G mobile base stations in Adelaide,
Canberra, and Perth in October 2018, and more later that year. According to
the CEO, they erected 200+ 5G-capable sites before the end of 2018. See their
coverage map for current details.

Vodafone customers can get 5G in these areas.

When Is 5G Coming to Australia? (Updated for 2021)

NEW ZEALAND

Spark NZ offers a couple of 5G broadband plans for service at home; visit that
link and enter your address to see if it covers your area. They switched on the
network for the first time in September 2019 for a limited number of customers.
On July 29, 2020, they kicked off mobile 5G with Palmerston North as the first
area with both fixed and mobile access.

Vodafone is another 5G player in New Zealand. They enabled 5G in parts of

Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown in late 2019; see the map
here and their 5G-ready phones. In early 2021, the company launched 5G
Broadband across those same areas.

GUAM

5G fixed wireless access arrived in Guam in the second half of 2019 through SK
Telecom and IT&E.

According to SK Telecom, the plan has been to start the rollout in highly
concentrated areas and places that don't currently have fixed-line
infrastructure. Coverage will then extend to wider areas.

Docomo Pacific launched 5G in Guam in August, 2020.

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