EE Enhances Mobile Network Experience Across the UK with Expanded 5G Plus Coverage and Infrastructure Investments

EE Enhances Mobile Network Experience Across the UK with Expanded 5G Plus Coverage and Infrastructure Investments

(IN BRIEF) EE has significantly expanded its 5G+ network across the UK, now reaching over 50 million people in more than 610 towns and cities, exceeding its original rollout targets and reinforcing its ambition to deliver high-quality connectivity to nearly the entire population by 2030. Alongside this expansion, the company has introduced several technological advancements, including spectrum reallocation across thousands of sites to improve capacity and indoor coverage, the UK’s first deployment of five carrier aggregation for faster download speeds, and the rollout of Advanced RAN Coordination technology to boost network performance in busy areas without additional infrastructure. These upgrades have already led to a substantial rise in 5G+ usage, demonstrating increasing customer reliance on faster and more reliable mobile services, while also highlighting EE’s ongoing investment in building a more resilient and future-ready telecommunications network.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 29-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — EE, part of BT Group, has introduced a series of major network upgrades aimed at significantly enhancing mobile connectivity across the UK, with a particular focus on expanding its next-generation 5G+ capabilities. The latest developments are designed to deliver faster speeds, improved reliability, and a more consistent user experience for millions of customers nationwide.

The operator has now extended its 5G+ coverage to more than 50 million people across over 610 towns and cities, surpassing its earlier target of reaching 41 million individuals by Spring 2026. This rapid rollout reflects EE’s ambition to provide the highest-quality 5G connectivity in the UK, with a long-term goal of reaching 99 percent of the population by March 2030.

5G+ represents EE’s most advanced form of 5G service, offering enhanced performance particularly in high-demand environments. Customers benefit from faster download and upload speeds, more stable connections, and improved performance for applications such as video streaming, video calls, and online gaming, especially in densely populated areas and during peak usage periods.

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, highlighted the pace of network development, noting that the expansion of 5G+ and the deployment of new technologies are helping to deliver more resilient and reliable connectivity where it is needed most.

As part of its continued investment in network performance, EE has optimized its spectrum usage by reallocating the 2.1GHz band across more than 4,000 mobile sites. This upgrade increases capacity, strengthens indoor signal coverage, and enhances upload speeds, particularly in urban environments. Plans are already in place to extend these improvements to an additional 5,000 sites in the near future.

The company has also achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first network in the UK to implement five carrier aggregation on its 5G+ infrastructure. This technology allows compatible devices to combine five different spectrum bands simultaneously, resulting in improved network efficiency and an average 10 percent increase in download speeds, particularly noticeable when streaming high-quality video content.

Another key innovation is the continued rollout of Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC), a technology that enables neighboring mobile sites to dynamically share capacity in real time. This approach can boost network performance by up to 20 percent without requiring additional physical infrastructure. Following earlier deployments in Manchester and Edinburgh, ARC is now active in London and is scheduled to expand to other major cities including Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Sheffield by the end of May 2026.

The combination of these advancements has already driven a 54 percent increase in monthly 5G+ usage over the past six months, reflecting growing customer adoption and demand for high-performance connectivity. EE’s continued investment—part of a broader £40 billion infrastructure program by BT Group between 2020 and 2030—underscores its commitment to maintaining leadership in the UK’s mobile network landscape.

Notes to editors:

* BT Group – of which EE is a part – is currently one of the biggest investors into UK infrastructure and will have invested more than £40bn into the country between 2020 and 2030. Latest on BT Group’s network investments here.

Full list of smartphones, tablets, laptops and devices which are compatible with EE’s 5G+ network can be found here. Customers need a compatible device, SIM and plan to be able to access 5G+ technology.

About EE

EE is the UK’s best network, offering superfast mobile and broadband connection to millions across the UK. With an ambition to be the country’s most trusted connector of people, EE’s network and services keep consumers connected and entertained.

EE’s mobile products run over the UK’s best network. EE’s 4G, 5G and 5GSA speeds cover more than 90% of the UK, while EE’s super reliable broadband is available at more than 99% of UK premises, with guaranteed speeds to keep people streaming, gaming, watching TV and connecting to the things that matter most.

EE’s mobile network continues to receive extensive recognition including UK’s best overall network by RootMetrics® every year since 2014, as well as being named Best Network for Consumers at the Mobile Industry Awards for the last four years since 2022.

EE is committed to offering first class service in the industry and has over 400 stores across the UK. In 2023, EE launched its new experiential retail strategy opening its flagship EE Studio and Experience stores nationwide. The innovative approach to retail in the telco industry has seen EE receive multiple awards of recognition including Retailer of the Year at the Mobile Industry Awards in 2024 and 2025, and Best New Store for the EE Studio at the Retail Week Awards in 2024.

EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised for putting people and culture at the heart of the company at the Welsh Contact Centre Awards in 2025.

EE is part of BT Group’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.

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SOURCE: EE LIMITED