Manchester real estate needs to wake up to 5G.

New research shows that whilst the city ranks high for call and text connectivity, it does not even make the top 10 of U.K. cities for data and network speed performance.

Data from RootMetrics’ most recent U.K. national report ranks cities in terms of mobile network performance and how this could indicate the impact 5G will make in these urban areas.

They say connectivity is now as important as water, light and heating to an office space. The case for accurate detail is clear, and can help support key decision makers when securing office space.

Manchester remained in the top three in three categories, ranking first for both call and text performance, while ranking second for network reliability. However, Manchester finished 11th for data and 12th for network speed performance, which was due in part to O2’s relatively slow speeds in the market.

London finished among the bottom of the rankings in multiple categories for the second straight test period. The London metro area ranked 16th out of 16 in four categories and 15th in two others. The market's rankings were pulled down by comparatively slow speeds from O2 and relatively high rates of blocked and dropped calls by both O2 and Vodafone.

Birmingham’s rankings decline in three categories, however, Birmingham’s best finish was fifth for text performance, while the city ranked near the bottom in three categories.

“The introduction of 5G will offer a faster, data-driven digital workplace, leading to smart conference rooms, office automation, real-time team collaboration and the integration of AI," said Kevin Hasley, head of product at RootMetrics and executive director of performance benchmark at IHS Markit. "From investors to occupiers, having the right infrastructure in place to handle new technologies will be key in investment decision making.”

“It is important to note that 5G will also liberate our core cities to handle more demand for connectivity, making them even more desirable for investment. This creates further challenges for secondary cities and rural areas to compete for investment; however it does reaffirm that 4G and broadband still has a role to play in supporting these areas.”