EIGHT more Scottish towns and cities can now access 5G after network operator EE switched on the faster coverage.
The eight new locations are among the first places in Scotland to receive the next generation mobile technology, which is more than 30 times faster than 4G.
While 4G has a maximum download speed of around 1GB per second, 5G can achieve speeds of up to 20GB per second.
Also, latency is greatly improved. While on 4G a network may take 50 milliseconds to respond to a request, 5G does so in 1 millisecond.
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However, to access 5G you'll need a 5G phone, a 5G plan, and be in an area covered by a 5G network.
These eight locations have joined Edinburgh and Glasgow on the list of places now connected to 5G through EE’s network:
- Aberdeen
- Barrhead
- Stirling
- Clydebank
- Bellshill
- Cumbernauld
- Paisley
- Motherwell
Glasgow, Edinburgh, and some of the cities’ surrounding areas can also access 5G through Vodafone.
Paul Wheelhouse, Scotland’s Connectivity Minister, said: “The challenges we’ve all faced this year show how digital communications play a crucial role in connecting people, communities and businesses, and we welcome this announcement of EE’s 5G service in Aberdeen, Stirling and Paisley.
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“The Scottish Government’s 5G Strategy recognises that this technology could become a key driver of economic growth in the years to come and will enable more innovation in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and construction.
“We have also established our Scotland 5G Centre to help us facilitate further investment and deploy this technology across the country.”
EE, which is part of BT Group, launched the UK’s first 5G service in May 2019 and has now expanded to 112 towns and cities across the UK.
Alan Lees, BT’s Enterprise unit Scotland director, said: “It’s great to see more places in Scotland benefit from 5G. The new technology will enable a faster, more reliable mobile connection, helping a range of sectors.
“We know that demands for data from consumers and businesses are continuing to increase, so the arrival of 5G in more places in the region will make sure it’s ahead of the game in terms of connectivity and competitiveness.”
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