7 in 10 Brits still sceptical around 5G speeds

After surveying over 2,000 UK residents on mobile and 5G myths from health conspiracies to charging misinformation, Uswitch.com determined the most widespread misconceptions that Brits still consider fact and disproved them.

Common mobile and 5G myths

Rank Statement % of Brits that believe or disbelieve the myth
True or false?

1. “5G is less environmentally friendly than 4G” 90% don’t believe - Disputed
2. “Using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi will have little to no effect on your phone's battery” 89% don’t believe -  True
3. “5G requires more power to use than 4G” 82% don’t believe - True
4. “5G is expected to be 100x faster than 4G” 69% don’t believe - True
5. “Apps running in the background should be closed to save battery” 60% believe - False
6. “You should only charge your phone with the sole charger it was supplied with” 26% believe - False
7. “Putting your phone in airplane mode will help it charge much faster” 23% believe - Disputed
8. “Your phone's signal can damage your debit and credit cards” 12% believe - False
9. “5G is safer than Wi-Fi” 8% believe - False
10. “5G increases the risk of poor health” 6% believe - False
Source: Uswitch.com

A third of Brits are unaware of 5G speed potential

A third of Brits (33%) don’t believe that 5G has the potential to be 100 times faster than 4G. This is despite the fact that industry experts have proven that, in the right conditions, 5G download speeds can read 10 gigabits per second, which is 100 times faster than 4G.

33% of Brits also believe that 5G is not as safe as Wi-Fi, even though industry experts state that no public Wi-Fi network is entirely secure. Whereas 5G networks encrypt customers' identifying information, making it impossible to identify or locate.

Nick Baker, Broadband Expert at Uswitch.com, offers his tips on how to stay safe using public Wi-Fi:
● “Installing a VPN: The most effective way to stay safe when using public Wi-Fi is to install a VPN. This encrypts your private data and identity online.
● Using your mobile data: While it’s not always possible, using your mobile data instead of connecting to public Wi-Fi is a safer option, as mobile data is typically encrypted.”

Despite conspiracy theorists alluding to the misconception that 5G increases the risk of poor health, 94% of Brits don't believe this to be true. However, when broken up into age groups, just over three quarters (77%) of 16-24 year olds don’t believe this to be true, compared to 97% of those over 55.

Catherine Hiley, Mobiles Expert at Uswitch.com, comments on 5G misinformation and how to avoid it: “A recent report has revealed that, when a TikTok user searches for news on the platform, nearly 20% of the videos presented as search results contain misinformation. Therefore, it’s important to fact-check any information you read online about 5G.

● NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis has dismissed the claims that 5G is linked to poor health, and described them as as ‘The worst kind of fake news’
● Always check the credentials of the publisher to make sure they are qualified to talk about 5G
● Old stories can be less accurate, so always refer to the most up-to-date information
● Only rely on information from reliable sources. Credible 5G information can be found by visiting Ofcom, the NHS or BBC Reality Check.”

Nearing two-thirds of Brits believe false charging information

Six in 10 Brits (60%) believe the myth that background apps should be closed to save battery, even though it has no effect on battery life. According to Apple Support, closing the app can actually worsen battery life because it uses more energy to load an app than it does to restart it from the ‘multitasking’ screen.

Those aged 55 and over are most likely to trust this misconception, with two-thirds (66%) believing it, compared to just over two-fifths (46%) of those aged between 16-24. More than a quarter of Brits (26%) believe that you should only charge your phone with the charger it was supplied with, although this myth is disproved by industry experts.

A similar percentage of Brits (23%) believe that putting your phone in airplane mode will help it charge faster. This is an idea that is believed most widely by 25-34 year olds, as two-fifths (38%) consider this to be fact. This is despite many industry experts believing it has little effect on battery life.

Catherine Hiley, Mobiles Expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Over time, official charging accessories can degrade and it's unlikely that they will last for the full life cycle of your device. Third-party charging accessories should not be harmful to devices, as long as they are UL-listed or USB-IF certified and of good quality. The most reliable way to charge devices quickly is to use a certified fast charger.”