How to Check 5G Network Operators Availability in Your Area

Here is a comprehensive guide detailing 5G availability and 5G networks across the globe. Use this guide to find if your region has 5G network capabilities and whether investing in a 5G phone immediately is the right decision? Just as 4G and 3G network standards were rolled out in phases, similarly, 5G support will be available gradually as well. Since new infrastructure is being added each day across the world, new regions are getting 5G networks. We have compiled this single article which readers can reference to get up-to-date 5G network information for their specific area.

5G promises even better download and upload speeds than 4G. While initially it might seem that speeds are the only benefit, it isn’t completely true. Thanks to 5G, we will be able to enjoy new technologies that weren’t possible before such as low latency game streaming from the cloud, access to even higher-res content and more. For all technology enthusiasts, developers and the general community, here is a comprehensive look at 5G network across the world.

5G Network Availability

We have sorted complete details under major countries / continents. It is completely true that 4G hasn’t penetrated all regions but a large number of populated regions enjoy it. For 5G, many cities have already started enjoying it while others are being added soon, find out ahead where your region is placed.

United States 5G Networks

For US, 5G coverage is looking quite strong. With all major network providers including Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T currently providing 5G, its just a matter of time till we see all of the areas covered.

To check if your region has 5G and whether it is provided by the same network you are currently using, there is a handy website named Cellular Maps which combines all cell network coverage maps under one roof. In terms of cities, New York, Los Angeles are mostly covered by all network providers for 5G.

5G network operators in the US:

• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• AT&T
• Verizon

5G in United Kingdom

UK has been quite fast paced when it comes to 5G roll-out. Thanks to competition between connectivity providers, there are loads of towns and cities currently being provided with 5G services. 5G services are limited to select cities and towns, and will take a long time to cover the whole country.

Using 5G UK website, you can easily reference all locations and areas as well as provider-specific information for 5G network support. Just like with all other regions, the full roll-out will take its time. So if you do not have 5G availability in your area yet, you will have to sit tight with patience.

5G network operators in the UK:

• EE
• Vodafone
• O2
• Three
• BT
• Sky Mobile
• Voxi

5G Availability in Australia & New Zealand

For Australian and New Zealand region, 5G availability is growing gradually. Major provider Telstra is hard at work to grow its 5G network and provide customers with exceptional connectivity speeds in Australia. Major cities like Queensland, ACT and more are being focused upon first due to their population densities. As for New Zealand, Vodafone and Spark are two providers with 5G networks.

To see the current list of Australian 5G providers along with information on price plans, check out Whistle Out website’s article.

5G in China

China has been at the forefront of 5G. With 50 cities being provided with 5G network since November 2019, the list is growing rapidly. Also, since China has a large number of smartphone manufacturers, phones are being launched aggressively in the region with 5G support.

Just earlier today, the Redmi K20 5G phone went on sale in China. Not just this, the 5G deployment in China was the world’s biggest at the time of its launch. 5G services are available in 50 cities all around China – including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. 850 million users in China use the Internet from their smartphones, so it makes complete sense for them to hop on to the fastest network in the world within no time.

5G network operators in China

• China Mobile
• China Telecom
• China Unicorn

South Korea 5G Networks Availability

Home of Samsung, South Korea has 5G network in support various cities. Seoul, Yongin-si, Anseong-si and Cheongju-si are some of the various cities with 5G support. Due to its relatively smaller size, South Korea is much dense when it comes to 5G networks when compared to other countries.

5G network operators in South Korea:

• KKorea
• SK Telecom

5G in India

India did not see the launch of any 5G-ready phones last year, mainly because they have a long way to go before 5G networks are actually available to users. The country is yet to conduct the spectrum auction between various telecom carriers for the allotment of the 5G network airwaves.

Secondly, the Indian market is not yet ready to afford 5G phones as of now; they are expensive. All flagship phones with are 5G-ready are over $1000, which is a big number considering the smartphones market in India. By the time telcos start deploying their 5G infrastructure, there should be several Android phones by Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo with 5G availability in them. Qualcomm has also announced chipsets with integrated 5G coming soon.

When will 5G come to India? The correct answer will be: in a while. India has 3 major telecommunication networks – Jio, Vodafone and Airtel. Out of these three, we think only Jio will hop on the 5G bandwagon later this year. Let’s wait for a few months and see how this pans out for the country.

Global 5G Coverage Map

Above, we sorted 5G support according to various regions with region-specific websites covering support. However, Ookla is one entity that is tracking 5G support throughout the world. Their map is one of the most detailed we have seen and the best thing is, it is interactive and accurate.

All in all, there are about 25 countries with full commercial 5G services. The Ookla team are continuously updating and monitoring new 5G networks as they go live.

To view 5G network availability across the globe, use Ookla’s interactive 5G coverage map.

Top 5G Phones You Can Buy Right Now

If your region supports 5G, it is a good idea to upgrade to a 5G-ready smartphone to utilize it. Just like when 4G and 3G were rolled out, separate variants of Android phones were launched that supported the new network. Similarly, for utilization of 5G, you first need a 5G phone. There are a handful of phone options you can choose from if you want to try out the fast speeds and data rates of 5G.

We recently compiled a list of the top 5G phones that you can buy right now. The list mostly consists of flagship devices, but as mentioned earlier, we should see cheaper 5G phones later this year. Here are some options you can choose from:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
• OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
• OnePlus 7T Pro 5G
• Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G
• Huawei Mate 20 X 5G
• LG V50 ThinQ 5G
• Oppo Reno 5G
• Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G

If you are confused between these phones and need help choosing one, read through our complete guide with phone comparisons.

We missed a region or area that you’d like us to update above? How has your experience been with 5G? Let us know in the comments!