Vodafone UK became the second mobile operator in the United Kingdom to launch 5G services on a commercial basis and said it will reach eight million consumers with 5G services by 2021.

Vodafone UK had already flagged its intention of offering 5G service in seven cities beginning today. True to its word, Wednesday saw the unveiling of data plans for consumers and business users, the launch of new converged fixed and mobile packages under its Vodafone Together brand, and plans to support 5G roaming in 20 cities across Germany, Italy, and Spain beginning this month.

Ericsson was quick to trumpet its involvement in the launch, saying its Radio System supports the 5G radio access network (RAN) in London.

A spokesperson for Vodafone UK confirmed that the carrier was using Huawei equipment for the 5G RAN in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, and Liverpool. The spokesperson, sensitive to the ongoing controversy about the use of Chinese equipment in the more intelligent parts of the network, was keen to stress that Huawei equipment is used only in the RAN; Cisco kit is used in the network core.

The spokesperson added that Huawei currently accounts for about one-third of Vodafone UK’s 4G LTE base stations, which puts the China-based vendor in a good position to support 5G networks based on the 4G-anchored 5G New Radio Non-Standalone (5G NR NSA) standard. Ericsson accounts for most of the remaining 4G LTE base stations, while Nokia is being phased out of the RAN.

Vodafone UK further commented that it is now able to offer its customers unlimited data because of its “multi-billion-pound investment” in its network over the last few years. “Across the U.K., we now run home broadband, mobile, IoT, and business services over a single all-fiber converged network, called RedStream,” the operator added. It also noted that it is using massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology and has installed 100 Gb/s capable optical fiber connections to support 5G base stations.

Vodafone rival EE was the first operator in the U.K. to launch commercial 5G services in May. EE parent company BT will provide a branded mobile 5G service later this year using that network. The 5G service will initially be offered to customers that have subscribed to BT Plus fixed and mobile packages.

Another former European incumbent, Deutsche Telekom (DT), also said it has kicked off its 5G network rollout in Germany. “By the end of the year, some 300 5G antennas in more than 100 locations will be built and brought online,” the operator said. The rollout is starting in six German cities: Berlin, Bonn, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich. The carrier plans to expand coverage to include the countries 20 largest cities over the next 18 months.

A quartet of German operators, including DT rivals O2 Germany, Vodafone Germany, and new entrant Drillisch, recently acquired pricey 5G spectrum licenses. The auction of frequencies in the 2 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands raised more than $7.3 billion for the government, with DT spending the most at more than $2.3 billion. Vodafone Germany said it plans to reach 20 million people with its 5G network by the end of 2021.