EE beats O2, Vodafone and Three with a huge speed boost for millions of customers

EE was first the UK network to launch fast 5G all the way back in 2019. Now the company is boasting that it has beaten all of its rivals including O2, Three and Vodafone by switching on this technology to over 50 percent of the population.

EE says that it’s beaten its original target for this coverage by a whole year and is five years ahead of the government’s ambition to get more people connected to faster speeds.

The latest areas to get fast 5G from EE include Blackpool, Clacton-on-Sea, Clitheroe, Cowes, Eastbourne, Exeter, Exmouth, Falmouth, Great Malvern, Hastings, Inverness, Minehead, Morecambe, Plymouth, Pontypridd, Poole, Ross-on-Wye, Salisbury, St Austell and Tiverton

Speaking about the upgrade Marc Allera, CEO Consumer Division, BT Group, said: “Today’s milestone is a huge achievement in our 5G journey. EE was the first network to launch 5G in the UK and now we’re the first mobile network operator to take the technology to 50% of the UK population. Our ambitions for 5G don’t stop here. We’ll continue to invest in our network to provide our customers with unrivalled connectivity.”

Along with switching on better speeds today, EE has also promised to have 5G available across the whole of the UK by 2028.

WHAT IS 5G?

5G is the very latest mobile technology that not only offers faster speeds but a much more reliable connection. 5G can also cope with more people connecting to it at the same time which makes it far superior to 4G at places such as busy train stations and people-packed stadiums. Whilst older technology can slow when lots of people try and use it, 5G is capable of keeping things running much more smoothly.

DO I NEED A NEW PHONE TO USE IT?

The simple answer is yes! Most new phones from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi now feature 5G but older devices like the iPhone 11 and standard Galaxy S10 don’t include 5G compatibility. When buying a 5G-ready phone it’s also worth checking with your network that the SIM deal you have is also 5G compatible as you may also need to take out an upgrade to get those faster speeds.

WHAT SPEEDS CAN I EXPECT?

5G offers downloads in excess of 300Mbps which is around four times faster than the current UK average for fixed-line speeds.

EE has just revealed that it’s testing even better downloads using current infrastructure that could mean customers will be able to whizz files and films to their phones at over 1Gbps – at that rate a full HD blockbuster would take just 40 seconds to download.