EE has announced that it is expanding the reach of its 4G roaming network to a range of new areas around the world.

Starting today, the operator’s superfast mobile network will be available to consumer and small business customers travelling in popular travel destinations such as Italy, Portugal and Canada, meaning they can update social media and surf the web whilst abroad.

4G customers will also receive unlimited roaming minutes and texts as part of their plan.

In order to access the network, however, EE customers will have to have already purchased one of the company’s EU roaming tariffs, starting at £3 for 50MB of data usage and rising to £25 for 500MB, which is undoubtedly pricey but could be a lifesaver compared to running up a huge bill whilst on holiday.

The full list of new countries is Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, with South Korea also becoming available tomorrow.

EE originally launched its roaming network in March, although only France and Spain were initially available. It has recently invested heavily in its 4G network in the UK, where over 73% of the country is now able to access faster internet speeds.

"EE already has the biggest and fastest 4G network in the UK – now we’re also allowing our customers to stay connected on 4G when they’re abroad," said EE CEO Olaf Swantee, CEO.

"Whether it’s working on the move, social networking, using maps, or just finding a great place to eat in an unknown city, our customers can now enjoy the same superfast and reliable mobile experience at home and overseas."

The news follows a recent EU announcement that roaming costs on the continent will soon be a thing of the past, in order to stop customers feeling penalised for using their devices whilst abroad.