BELFAST has been confirmed as one of four UK cities to benefit from the initial rollout of O2's 5G network later this year.
The UK's second biggest mobile phone operator has revealed it will launch its 5G network in October this year starting in; Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.
The network will then expand to a total of 50 towns and cities by summer 2020.
Mark Evans, chief executive of Telefonica UK - O2's parent company, said 5G rollout will be prioritised in the areas where customers "need the network the most, such as transport hubs and venues".
"Alongside O2's work to build a 5G economy in partnership with British industry, we continue to focus on improving 4G mobile network connectivity as one of the UK's most powerful opportunities to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of British people," he said.
Some of the first sites 5G will be made available include; Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Twickenham Stadium and Slough train station - not far from O2's head office.
O2's Belfast launch was first announced by the company in February and comes after EE chose the city as one of six to initially roll out its high-speed mobile network in the UK. The BT-owned telecoms firm launched its 5G network in Belfast on May 30, with more locations are due to follow before the end of the the year and into 2020.
Vodafone has also launched its 5G service, but Belfast was not included in the initial rollout. The network launched in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and London on July 3, with 12 more towns and cities to be added by the end of the year.
A report, published in April has suggested the introduction could generate an additional £283 million a year for the north's economy
The research from Barclays states that an accelerated rollout of 5G and an enhanced uptake amongst UK businesses and consumers would supercharge the Northern Ireland economy by up to £283m per year by 2025. The expected pace of development of 5G in Northern Ireland would add an estimated £229m annually in six years according to the analysis, while even a slower rollout and limited use would still deliver around £141m of added revenue.
The 5G update from O2 comes as the company revealed revenues in the UK jumped 5.1 per cent in the year to £2.98 billion with underlying profits, the company's preferred measure, up 6.4 per cent to £919 million in the six months to June 30.
Bosses revealed that the O2 network was used by 33.3 million customers in the period, including via its services available on giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile and Lycamobile. O2's direct customer numbers is 25.4 million, the company added.
The number of customers in the UK on phone contracts has fallen in recent years, with users preferring to buy expensive handsets outright, before buying a sim card.
But O2 said net contract sign-ups were 41,000 in the period, accounting for two-thirds (67 per cent) of its total mobile base. By comparison, there were more pre-pay sign-ups - with a net increase of 45,000.
On Wednesday, the company also revealed a partnership with Vodafone to share masts and antennas to speed up their respective 5G rollouts and take on bigger rival EE.
