EE further expands UK 5G network

EE has switched on 5G services in 21 more towns and cities across the UK, bringing its next-generation mobile network to a total of 71 locations – more than any other operator, it claims.

EE’s 5G network – the UK’s first consumer-facing 5G service – first arrived on 30 May 2019 in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester and the network has expanded 5G on a daily basis.

Effective immediately, the EE 5G service is now also available in Bath, Birkenhead, Clydebank, Motherwell and Rotherham and the operator has switched on its first 5G sites in Bransholme, Bury, Chelmsford, Cheshunt, Clevedon, Dartford, Dinnington, Loughborough, Loughton, North Shields, Rochester, Rugeley, Swadlincote, South Shields, Staines and Waltham Cross.

As well as switching on the first 5G sites in new cities and large towns, EE has also brought 5G to more high-footfall locations, including Bath’s Royal Crescent and Pulteney Bridge, London Bridge and Thornton Heath railway station in southeast London, near to Crystal Palace Football Club.

EE is part of BT’s consumer business unit, which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK. CEO Marc Allera said: “We have 5G coverage in more places than any other operator, and remain focused on connecting even more towns and cities in 2020 and beyond to keep our customers connected in the busiest places.”

The announcement of the network expansion comes just after EE was found to have retained its top spot in the RootMetrics semi-annual mobile performance benchmarking for UK operators over the last six months of 2019.

Of the big four telcos competing UK-wide, EE continued to dominate, winning or sharing awards across all six categories tested, while also recording the fastest aggregate median download speed across the UK at 36.5Mbps. The operator has now won or shared all six awards for five consecutive test periods.

The study also found that, in general, users were heavily reliant on fast data performance, were more likely to make mobile plan purchasing decisions based on data performance, more likely to switch operators based on data performance, and excited about the potential of 5G and what it means for daily connected life.

Topline figures from the survey also showed increasing user reliance on connectivity, leading RootMetrics to advise network operators to act now to ensure strong performance for consumer demands across work and play.