Less than a year after launch, and also after a considerable raising of the competitive bar through the arrival of VodafoneThree to the marketplace, EE is now in a position to offer the UK’s biggest 5G standalone (5G SA) network this summer, enabling more than 34 million people to access the advanced network and marking a 5G standalone milestone whereby it will advance to a phase of scale and real-life access.
EE first introduced its 5G SA network in September 2004, launching in 15 cities across the UK, including Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield.
At launch, EE said its 5G standalone network will set a new standard for connectivity, bringing benefits to customers from day one, and being the first of its kind in the UK to offer near-uninterrupted outdoor coverage in every city it launches.
The operator said 5G SA would offer a smoother, more reliable and more secure mobile connection built for better live streaming, video calling and mobile gaming. In addition, it was attributed with supporting enhanced voice calls in more places, with faster setup times that reduce the delay between dialling a number and the phone starting to ring via voice over 5G (Vo5G) standalone.
The 5G SA network has been built to deliver up to 100 times more capacity than 4G connectivity, making it significantly better at handling demands from lots of devices at once. Key use cases for this capability include delivering more reliable mobile internet during major events at places like Wembley Stadium.
Research has indicated that UK businesses have already started t in both smartphone and advanced 5G SA mobile services, highlighting how critical reliable data connections are to success.
The research also found a vast majority of users regarded the roll-out of 5G SA as either important or extremely important, adding that lower latency would help business growth, and that they increase 5G investments when advanced capabilities are made available to derive a better competitive advantage through enabling innovation.
As part of its offer, EE introduced a Network Boost feature to help improve performance in busy areas. Exclusive to some tariffs, the offering aimed to enhance performance to customers when the network was busy by allocating more capacity.
EE’s ambition is to make 5G standalone available to more than 41 million people by spring 2026, and in recent weeks, its 5G SA network has been expanded to towns and cities including Carlisle, Chesterfield, Hemel Hempstead, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gosport, Slough, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton Coldfield and York, among others.
In the next month, customers in a further 38 locations will gain access to 5G SA, encompassing Aberdeen, Beverley, Blyth, Boston, Canterbury, Chippenham, Cleethorpes, Crawley, Derby, Exmouth, Great Malvern, Grimsby, Halifax, Harlow, Havant, Inverness, Ipswich, Leyland, Lichfield, Loughborough, Norwich, Paignton, Peterborough, Royal Leamington Spa, Salisbury, Shrewsbury, St Albans, St Neots, Sutton in Ashfield, Trowbridge, Wellingborough, Whitley Bay, Windsor, Winsford, Wishaw, Wokingham, Wrexham and Yeovil.
As well as expanding the availability of its 5G SA, EE has also made its Vo5G feature available to iOS and Android users in the UK with 5G SA-compatible devices and plans.
“Whether you are video calling from a crowded train station, live streaming on social media from a sold-out concert, or simply staying in touch with your family and friends over the summer holidays, 5G standalone on EE makes your experience smoother, faster and more secure,” said BT Group chief networks officer Greg McCall.
“Delivering a high-quality mobile experience every day for millions of people is what matters to us, it’s what has driven us to build the UK’s most reliable network and why we’re now delivering 5G standalone to more people in more places across the UK.”
