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Tesco Mobile switches on 5G: is it the cheapest 5G mobile network?
Tesco Mobile has launched its 5G network, with customers being able to access it in 24 cities across the UK, including every capital city. The network has also committed to switching on 5G in a total of 50 locations by summer, firmly placing Tesco Mobile in the 5G race.
Tesco Mobile is a virtual network (a provider that uses another network's masts) and is using O2's 5G network to launch its own 5G offering.
Find out what real customers said about Tesco Mobile in our review of the best and worst mobile networks.
Where will 5G be available for Tesco Mobile customers?
The table below shows the list of all 24 locations where 5G has been switched on, with a mix of cities and large towns included.
| Belfast | Birmingham | Bradford | Brighton |
| Bristol | Cardiff | Coventry | Derby |
| Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leeds | Leicester |
| Lisburn | Liverpool | London | Luton |
| Manchester | Newcastle | Northampton | Norwich |
| Nottingham | Sheffield | Slough | Stoke-on-Trent |
Tesco Mobile plans to continue to switch on 5G in places including Bournemouth, Milton Keynes and Cambridge to reach a total of 50 locations by summer. Coverage will almost certainly be patchy in the early stages but, as time goes on, 5G coverage should improve, at least in urban areas. If you're in an area with good O2 coverage, it will almost certainly be the same with Tesco Mobile.
Find out what coverage for 4G and 5G is like where you live with our mobile network coverage map.
Is Tesco Mobile the cheapest 5G network?
With deals starting at £15, Tesco Mobile's offering is very tempting. In the table below, we compare Tesco Mobile with other 5G networks to find out whether it's the cheapest network for 5G deals.
| Low Data Usage | ||||
| Provider | Data | Minutes | Contract Length | Cost |
| Tesco Mobile | 5GB | 5,000 | 12 months | £15 |
| O2 | 20GB | Unlimited | 12 months | £20 |
| Three | 4GB | Unlimited | 12 months | £13 |
| Vodafone | 5GB | Unlimited | 12 months | £16 |
| High Data Usage |
While not the cheapest provider, Tesco Mobile is definitely competitive in the 5G market and may be worth taking a look at, particularly if you're an existing customer.
Tesco Mobile 5G one-month deals
Tesco Mobile also offers a range of one-month deals - at a premium. While these Sim-only plans allow you to avoid a lengthy contract, they cost £5 extra each month, although also come with 5,000 minutes and 5,000 texts. This ups the price somewhat, but it's a good way to find out whether 5G is for you before you commit.
Is 5G dangerous?
We looked at whether 5G could impact our health and concluded that the evidence from organisations such as the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and the UK Health Protection Agency all currently shows that 5G will not cause any adverse health effects.
Our guide to 5G delves deeper into the technology and looks at future plans for all the mobile networks.
