What's 5G and what can I do with it?

As the successor of 4G, 5G is the new, improved version of mobile internet. In the future, 5G will ensure that your WiFi connection to the internet will be just as fast and secure outdoors as it is in your home. In 2022, the rollout of 5G in Belgium started. This is a complex project, so it's expected to be available in 50% of the country in early 2024. You do need a device with 5G support. These 5G smartphones are already for sale. You also need a phone plan that supports a 5G connection. They're already available as well.

The 3 most important improvements of 5G are a higher speed, more capacity, and lower latency. The download speed of 5G will be about 10 to 100 times faster than that of 4G. You can download the complete season of your favorite series in just a few minutes. In addition, 5G creates more room on the mobile network. That way, you'll reliable mobile internet in busy places as well, like at the train station or a festival. The lower latency (less lag between sending and receiving) is especially interesting for companies that want to use this technique, for self-driving cars for example.

At the moment, 5G is available in a dressed-down version. The mobile network exists, but it doesn't run at maximum speed yet. In June 2022, the government auctioned off the frequencies to the providers. Simply put, providers will bid on the fastest networks. After the auction, the providers will still have to build new transmission towers. That's why the rollout of the fast 5G network started late 2022. It'll probably take until 2025 for 5G to be available in all of Belgium.

Rolling out the complete 5G network won't start until the end of 2022. Until that time, how much you can do with 5G depends on where you live. You can get the most out of 5G with high frequency bands, but the providers will need to build extra transmission masts to use these bands. That's why it's possible that you'll only have faster and more reliable internet in the urban areas at first. Outside these areas, you won't notice much of a difference compared to 4G at the beginning.

In some parts of Belgium, the 5G network is already available. So you can already enjoy the fastest speeds in those regions. Where you have access to the 5G network differs per provider. If there's no 5G network near you yet, we still recommend getting a smartphone with 5G support. That's because you'll be able to enjoy the higher speeds and better connection of the 5G network as soon as it's available this way. This also increases the value of your device later on. If you plan on selling or trading in your device later, a 5G device is a smarter choice.