SEVEN cities in the North-East now have 5G as EE switches on the high-speed wireless in Chester-le-Street, Jarrow and Washington.

The three places are mong 112 locations around the UK that can access the operator's high-speed network.

It also brings the total number of North-East places with access to the 5G network to seven, which includes East Newcastle, North Shields, South Shields and Sunderland.

The first sites in the North-East went live last year.

Helen Golightly, Chief Executive, North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This is such an important milestone for the region in realising our digital ambitions.

"5G technology will become a key driver of economic growth in the years to come and will enable more innovation in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, health and social care.

“The challenges we have all faced this year has meant digital communications have taken on an even more important role. We’re hopeful that 5G will bring in a new era for our region and the fact EE has switched on 5G in more places here is a huge positive.”

Liz Needleman, BT Group, North of England, said: “It’s great to see more places in the North East benefit from 5G. The new technology will enable a faster, more reliable mobile connection, helping a range of sectors.

“We know that demands for data from consumers and businesses are continuing to increase, so the arrival of 5G in more places in the region will make sure it’s ahead of the game in terms of connectivity and competitiveness.”

Network insights from EE show that the top three uses of its 5G network today are video streaming, social networking and web browsing, with YouTube, Netflix, Facebook and Instagram taking the top spots as the most used service providers.

EE’s announcement comes as Apple is expected to introduce 5G compatibility to its iPhone range for the first time.