UK mobile operator Three to launch 5G broadband in August

Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings

10/06/2019 24:01

LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - UK mobile operator Three on
Monday said it would launch its first new-generation 5G
broadband service in London in August and would roll out mobile
and broadband across 25 towns and cities before the end of the
year.
    Three, which is owned by Hutchison  0215.HK , said it would
start its 5G network with a London home broadband service,
joining BT's  BT.L  EE and Vodafone  VOD.L  in launching
services in 2019.
    Three said its 2 billion pound ($2.55 billion) 5G
infrastructure investment included network improvements in major
British cities and a cloud core network provided by Nokia
 NOKIA.HE .
    "It's clear that consumers and businesses want more and more
data," chief executive Dave Dyson said in a statement.
    "We have worked hard over a long period of time to be able
to offer the best end-to-end 5G experience. 5G is a game changer
for Three."    
    EE launched 5G services in six cities in May, while Vodafone
will launch on July 3. Both pulled Huawei  HWT.UL  smartphones
from their 5G launches because of uncertainty about support by
Google's Android after a U.S. move to block the Chinese firm's
access to its technology.     
    Three said that they would announce details of which
handsets would be part of its mobile launch in July.
    The United States has said Huawei is a security risk and
open to spying by Beijing, a claim the Chinese company denies. 
    Britain's National Security Council decided in April to
block Huawei from all core parts of its future 5G network but to
give it restricted access to non-core parts, but the government
has not made a final decision.
    The worldwide commercial launch of 5G is expected in 2020.

($1 = 0.7839 pounds)

 (Reporting by Alistair Smout)
 ((alistair.smout@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 7064; Reuters
Messaging: alistair.smout.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))