5G Finally Arrives in My Area: A Long-Awaited Upgrade
At the end of 2025, I got a text from EE, my mobile network, telling me about improvements coming to my area. Just a week later, I noticed a little 5G icon popping up in the corner of my phone. This was exciting news, but it turned out to be less thrilling than I expected.
The Slow Rollout of 5G in the UK
5G first made its debut in the UK back in 2019. Since then, I have moved around quite a bit, and this is the first time I’ve had a 5G signal at my home. Whenever I traveled to cities like London or visited an airport, I could see 5G on my phone. But outside of major hubs, the rollout has been quite slow.
Why Did 5G Take So Long?
Curious about the delays, I reached out to EE at the end of 2024. They explained that several factors slowed down the 5G rollout. The biggest issue was the decision to remove Huawei equipment from the mobile network and replace it with hardware from Nokia and Ericsson. This massive project cost around £500 million and was complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this time, conspiracy theories about 5G and COVID spread, leading to vandalism and attacks against network engineers. These challenges made the rollout even more difficult. So, while it’s great that 5G has finally arrived in my semi-rural home, it’s not as exciting as I had hoped.
Testing 5G Speeds: A Comparison
When 5G was first introduced, it promised faster speeds and lower latency. Back in 2019, I tested the first 5G network in the UK using a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G in London. I was amazed by speeds of around 360Mbps, which was much faster than 4G, often barely hitting 20Mbps.
My 2025 Speed Test Results
In December 2025, I decided to run similar speed tests with my new OnePlus 15 on the local 5G network. I expected impressive results but was disappointed. The Ookla Speed Test app showed download speeds of only 112Mbps and an upload speed of 18.7Mbps. That’s less than a third of what I experienced in 2019!
Thinking this might just be a fluke, I switched the phone to 4G for comparison. The 4G speed test showed a download speed of 114Mbps and an upload speed of 9.35Mbps. The difference between 4G and 5G was minimal, with the only real advantage being the upload speed.
Latency Improvements
Latency is another big selling point for 5G. I tested the latency on both networks. For 4G, the download ping was 325ms, and the upload ping was 630ms. In contrast, the 5G test showed a 118ms download ping and a 342ms upload ping, which are definite improvements. The idle ping was also slightly better on 5G.
Comparing with Other Regions
To see if my results were unusual, I found that another tester in the US had similar experiences. They recorded 134Mbps download speed on 5G and 126Mbps on 4G LTE. So, it seems like 5G hasn’t lived up to its hype anywhere.
The Overall Impact of 5G Arrival
Even though the speeds are a bit disappointing, I can still appreciate the upgrade to the network in my area. For the last four years, my signal has been awful, often with just one bar of reception at home. I relied heavily on my home internet and Wi-Fi calling to get by.
Better Reception and Connectivity
Now, with the arrival of 5G, I consistently get three bars of reception on my phone. My calls and data work without a hitch. While the 5G speeds may not be life-changing, the upgrade to a stable network has improved my daily connectivity significantly.
Looking Ahead: What Comes Next?
As I welcome this 5G upgrade, I can’t help but think about what the future holds, especially with 6G on the horizon. I guess I’ll have to wait until 2036 to find out! Based on my experience with 5G, I’ll keep my expectations in check and hope for better advancements.
