More than half a million EE customers across the UK gifted 5G+ access in the run up to Christmas.
At the same time, 20 new towns and cities, as well as festive attractions like Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, are now live with EE’s 5G+ connectivity as its rapid rollout surpasses 44 million people.
5G+ is EE’s most advanced and reliable network technology and is available on all EE pay monthly handset plans, as well as its Full Works and All Rounder SIM-only plans.
More than half a million EE customers across the UK have received a boost to their mobile connectivity in time for Christmas, after the operator gifted 5G+ access to customers with compatible smartphones ¹.
As part of its latest network rollout, 20 new towns and cities are now also live with 5G+ ahead of the busy festive season – benefiting a further 1.6 million people.
With new research ² showing the most common time for people in the UK to start their festive shopping is in mid-to-late November, EE is making it easier for the nation to prepare for the Christmas holidays – whether it’s buying presents and groceries online while on the move or staying connected to family and friends while exploring festive events in towns and cities across the UK.
As the UK’s most advanced mobile technology, 5G+ delivers a stronger, more reliable mobile signal - especially in busy places like high streets and city centres where there is high demand for mobile connectivity. 5G+ also provides improved download and upload speeds so customers can video call, livestream and use social media without interruptions or buffering – perfect for helping people share their special festive experiences with loved ones.
Alongside enabling more customers to access its 5G+ network, EE is continuing to expand its coverage footprint at unprecedented speed and scale. Just over a year on from launch, EE has made 5G+ available to more than 44 million people (equivalent to 66% of the entire UK population), surpassing its original coverage target by five months. ³
5G+ on EE is now available in all the UK’s major cities and most populous towns, including those with Christmas markets and festive attractions such as Bath, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, York, Belfast and London. It has also been deployed at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland which, as the UK’s largest outdoor Christmas market, attracts around 3 million visitors over the festive period.
EE’s long-term plan will see 99% of the UK population get 5G+ connectivity by Spring 2030. As part of the next phase of its rollout, EE has made 5G+ available in 20 new locations across the UK in the run up to Christmas, with a total population of more than 1.6 million people.
One of the additional benefits of 5G+ technology is the ability for operators to use network slicing to deliver a guaranteed quality of experience and offer customers – both consumers and businesses - unique connected experiences. Several high-profile network slicing trials have been completed on EE’s 5G+ network at major events in the last year, including Belfast Christmas market, Sail GP in Portsmouth and England men’s and women’s football matches at Wembley Stadium.
5G+ is currently available on all EE pay monthly handset plans, as well as its Full Works and All Rounder SIM-only plans. With more than 15% of all EE pay monthly customers now accessing 5G+, millions of people in the UK are now benefiting every day from the enhanced network performance it offers.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group
This time of year is all about connecting with the people and things we care about most. With millions of people travelling to visit family, heading to the high street for their gifts, and enjoying the best festive events the UK has to offer, we’re expanding EE’s 5G+ network so the nation can benefit from its high capacity, ultra-reliable connectivity and stay connected to what matters to them this Christmas
