Vodafone has switched on 5G at Birmingham New Street station. Like other 5G networks at this stage, the tech is still on trial.
However, with 5G phones launching soon - Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G will be available this month - it'll be interesting to see how moves the tech beyond the launch phase and begins a customer roll-out.
Pocket-lint went along to see the tech in action and - much like the recent Manchester Airport trial - saw speeds of around 180mbps achieved in the station. That's certainly not as fast as some of the predicted speeds for 5G networks, but it is early days for the technology.
Vodafone wasn't using 5G handsets for the demo, it had to emulate the 5G reception using a Huawei 5G router that was then connected to existing devices with Wi-Fi.
However, because the S10 5G is imminent, we believe it will be a matter of weeks before we can test 5G in one of the test locations with a 5G handset.
The 5G mast was situated on a nearby building on Hill Street, just outside of one of the station entrances. Testing is underway at various locations in the city centre. The 5G mast is on the left.
Vodafone has worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority on the New Street Station project - pictured above is the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street. It says it is rolling out 5G to key commuter locations across the UK during 2019 and will switch on its 5G network in 19 towns and cities by the end of the year.
We also spoke with James Hope, Vodafone's head of network for the north, in detail about the potential for 5G services in the near future as well as the challenge of rolling out 5G sites. We'll bring you our interview with James shortly.