SOUTHAMPTON is set to join the 5G superfast mobile club.

The city is one of seven in the UK where the faster mobile data speeds are being trialled by Vodafone.

Customers in 12 towns and cities will benefit from the ultra-responsive network when 5G goes live later this year, including Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Guildford, Newbury, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Reading, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington and Wolverhampton.

A 5G connection is about ten times faster than 4G, enabling customers to more easily download high quality 4K video calls or films.

Gamers will benefit from data transfer taking less than 20 milliseconds, speeds usually reserved for home broadband.

Scott Petty of Vodafone UK said: “5G will usher in a new era where everyone and everything is better connected, whether you are running a hotel in Portsmouth or broadcasting live at MediaCity in Salford.”

Vodafone says 5G will deliver response times of less than five milliseconds into smart factories, connecting robots and mobile machines.

Vodafone’s investment in the latest Active Antenna technology means many existing 4G sites are now 5G-ready.

This technology provides multiple-data channels from a single antenna.

The multi-billion-pound network investment could pave the way for smart homes and work spaces, according to Mr Petty.

A smart home can “detect when you’ve come into the house, change the lighting, and enable a whole new set of apps that will make life easier for consumers”, said Scott.

In the UK, the demand for smart home devices has doubled since 2016.

The performance of 5G smartphones, processors and routers is also being tested in the firm’s Newbury technology HQ to ensure the service runs efficiently when launched.