What is 5G and what does it mean for you?
5G is the latest generation of mobile connectivity. It offers faster speeds, lower delay and a more reliable connection than 4G, helping you stream, browse and stay connected more smoothly when you’re on the move. It’s designed to handle more people and more devices at once, so your experience stays strong, even in busy areas. Explore more about the benefits of 5G on O2 – and see what you can do.
What is 5G+?
5G+ (also known as 5G Standalone) is our next-generation network, built specifically for 5G. It offers even greater reliability, improved performance and the ability to support new services over time. Unlike earlier versions of 5G (5G non-standalone), it doesn’t rely on 4G infrastructure, making it more advanced and future-ready. Find out more about 5G+ –where it's currently available, what devices are compatible, and SIM requirements.
How to use 5G on your device?
All our Pay Monthly, SIM Only and Pay As You Go deals come with 5G included – so all you'll need is to get it is a compatible mobile phone and be in an area with coverage. Most new devices we sell are now 5G-enabled already. If you don't yet have one, take a look at our range of handsets.
How do I activate 5G on my device?
If your device is 5G ready, it will usually already be set up to receive 5G services. But you can still double check it's turned using our device support guides.
Where can I find 5G coverage?
Our 5G network continues to expand and now reaches the majority of the UK population, covering more than 85% of the UK population and reaching in excess of 14,000 UK towns, cities and villages. Use our online 5G coverage checker to discover if you're in one of them.
I don’t have 5G coverage – but the coverage checker says I should?
We try to make sure our coverage checker is as accurate as possible. But, because it's based on predictions, it can never be 100% accurate. Trees, buildings and hills can all affect actual coverage, for example. And we'll update our coverage checker to factor in these limitations that may affect your 5G experience.
When will O2 5G be in my area?
We’re investing £700 million in 2026 through our Mobile Transformation Plan to expand and improve our network, bringing faster, more reliable 5G to more places across the UK. Read about our network updates here.
Our online coverage checker will keep you up to date with all areas that are served by our 5G network.
If you're not sure about any techy terms, check out our jargon buster.
5G FAQs
To use our 5G network, you'll need a 5G-ready device and O2 Pay Monthly SIM card. The good news is that all our SIMs are now 5G capable as standard. They're also the same size and shape as our other SIMs, so you won't have any problems inserting them into your phone.
Yes, our Pay As You Go customer can use 5G.
You can check if you have the correct SIM by looking for the 5G icon next to where your signal strength indicator is. Please note – you'll need to have a compatible phone and be located an area with 5G coverage for this to happen.
If you're having issues with your 5G connection, please check our network status checker to see if there are any known issues with our network. You can also use it to report a fault.
Alternatively, download the My Network app from the App Store or Google Play to get all the latest O2 network and coverage information at the touch of a button. The app lets you set up permanent watch-points in places you use our network regularly too.
Yes. With roaming switched on, you’ll be able to use 5G worldwide where coverage exists. With O2 you can enjoy EU roaming up to 25GB, at no extra cost. Find out more about O2 roaming.
When you download a movie, the amount of data you’ll use is the same whether you used 4G or 5G. But, because it happens faster with 5G, it’ll be easier to download more things – and use more data.
It's likely you'll use up your battery faster if you choose to download a lot more data over our 5G network. But 5G is designed to be really efficient. So, if you're using your device in the same way as you would on our 4G network, your battery life won't be affected.
No – 5G is a data service only and therefore won't impact calls. If you're connected to 5G and make/receive a call, your phone will automatically switch to 4G. For better call quality, you can always enable WiFi and 4G Calling if your phone supports these features.
When making or receiving a call, you won't be using our 5G network because it's a data-only service. If you have WiFi and 4G Calling enabled, however, you can use 4G data services.
Yes, you can tether your phone as a hotspot using our 5G network.
You can turn 5G off using the network settings on your 5G device.
Last updated: 26/02/2026
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