What is 5G and do you need it?

5G is so called because it’s the fifth generation of mobile phone technology that allows you to make calls and send messages and data. Your voice, message, photo or video is turned into an electrical signal by your phone. This is then transmitted to the nearest mobile phone mast which passes the signal on through a series of different masts over a set radio frequency until it reaches the recipient's phone. Then the signal is then decoded back.

How fast is 5G ?

The networks claim 5G should offer internet speeds of up 500Mbps - that's 10x faster than on 4G. This means web pages will load quicker and you'll even be able to download UltraHD movies in a couple of minutes. Even better, its thought the 5G signal will be stronger than 4G so in theory you're less likely to struggle to get internet access in a crowded area. Only time will tell if this is true.

How much does 5G cost ?

BT is only offering 5G to it's broadband customers that have its Halo service, which costs £3 per month on top of your monthly subscription but ensures if your broadband goes down you have other ways to get online. They aren't offering any 5G sim-only plans either, you'll need to buy a 5G-ready smartphone from them. Prices start from £45 per month. EE is offering sim-only plans starting from £32 per month for 20GB of data or handset plans from £54 per month with 10GB of data. O2's 5G sim-only plans cost from £20 per month while handset plans cost from £40.48 per month. Sky, Three and Vodafone are all offering new and existing customers 5G at the same cost as 4G but there are some caveats though. For Sky, you need to also sign-up to the Sky VIP loyalty scheme, which is free to join. Meanwhile, Vodafone is insisting you have a mobile package with at least 5GB of data to get free 5G. Sky's mobile packages start from £6 per month, while Three's cost from £13 per month and Vodafone's are priced from £15 per month