Three's 5G network won't cost you any more than 4G

Three is the first UK network to offer the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G (Image credit: Future)

Three has announced its 5G pricing in the UK, and the good news is it won't cost you any more than its current "contract, SIM only and PAYG 4G mobile plans."

That means it will be cheaper than EE, which charges a premium for its 5G contracts, and there are no speed caps - something Vodafone has introduced with its new unlimited plans which cover you for 4G and 5G. However, both EE and Vodafone have their 5G networks available right now (albeit in limited areas for now).

Three will also offer a 5G unlimited data SIM only plan which will cost £22 per month, however one cost you will have to brunt is that of a 5G-enabled smartphone.

From today, July 26, you'll be able to buy the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G from Three, and it joins Sky Mobile and Carphone Warehouse as the first UK retailers to sell the handset after carriers temporarily removed it from their line-ups in the wake of the Huawei ban.

Three has also confirmed that it will stock the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G "within the coming month."

When will Three launch its 5G network?

The big question which remains unanswered however, is just when will Three start to roll out its mobile 5G network?

We know it will starting rolling out the service for mobile broadband in August, but the closet 5G release date we've had so far for smartphones is "later this year."

When it does arrive though, Three and its mobile deals could offer a huge amount of coverage versus its competitors, saying it'll arrive "across 25 cities" - although it's not clear whether they'll all get coverage from day one.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.