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Vodafone UK plans 5G launch in 2019, but says early phones are too big

Related Topics: Lake District, United States, Vodafone, 5G

U.K. cellular carrier Vodafone will launch its 5G network in 2019, the company confirmed, but concerns over the size of early 5G devices are casting a cloud over the next-generation wireless technology’s initial mass market potential. That’s the message from Vodafone CTO Scott Perry (via Telecoms), who held court after the company made the U.K.’s first live holographic call over 5G at a media event.

Vodafone’s plan calls for a three-stage rollout of 5G services in the U.K., beginning with the October 2018 launch of 5G tests in seven cities, continuing with full launches in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cornwall, and the Lake District in 2019, then expanding to 1,000 5G sites by 2020.