EE is introducing a new technology that it says will boost network capacity and deliver faster speeds for customers.
The operator will be extending its 4G+ network to enable access to a third block of spectrum for high-speed 4G services on over 500 sites.
Already live in Wembley Stadium, this network will be activated on sites in central London starting with Tech City. Sites such as Birmingham and Manchester will have the network activated through 2016 and 2017.
The move is aimed at benefitting customers with Cat 9 smartphones such as the HTC M10 and the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and Note 7 models. In a testing environment, these devices can achieve 450 Mbps, but on most mobile networks these speeds are not achievable.
According to EE, the HTC M10 in tests has achieved a real-world speed exceeding 360Mbps on the EE network at Wembley Stadium.
The new roll-out follows previous moves to support Cat 6 devices. For these, EE enabled the first stage of the 4G+ network, which uses two blocks of mobile spectrum, in over 150 towns and cities across the UK.
EE CEO Marc Allera said: “There’s no point having the latest smartphones on a network that can’t support the top speeds the device is capable of. We’ve invested in our network to ensure that all of our customers get the most out of the amazing smartphones they have, and can keep up with the highest speeds that the latest devices offer.
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“With 4G+ now supporting Cat 9 devices, plus Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling, customers on EE will continue to get more from their new smartphone than on any other network”
Customers on an EE Extra or EE Complete plan will have no extra cost to use 4G+. If eligible, users will connect to the service automatically.
