EE 4G speeds to double for 10 cities this summer

EE 4GEE

EE is set to double the speed of its 4GEE network in 10 cities this summer, delivering peak 4G speeds of 80Mbps.

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield are the 10 cities set to get the 4G LTE speed increase.

EE claims the average 4G speed for customers in these cities will double to around 20Mbps.

Already being trialled in Cardiff, the faster 4G speeds will be instantly available to all EE customers in the listed areas for no extra charge and on all 4G phones, tablets and dongles.

MORE: EE 4G UK – details on coverage, speeds, phones and prices

Network traffic is set to increase by 750% in the next three years, according to EE, with HD video streaming, sharing and downloading cited as one of the big growth areas for data usage.

EE is doubling the amount of 1800MHz spectrum bandwidth dedicated to its 4GEE network, from 10MHz to 20MHz.

Currently the only 4G LTE service in the UK, other networks are expected to go live this summer following the confirmation by Ofcom of the UK 4G timetable.

Five winning bidders, EE, 3, BT, O2 and Vodafone, were announced in February as the winners for the new 4G spectrum, which uses the new 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequency bands.

After initial concerns, the phone companies have been at pains to promise this new 4G bandwidth won't affect existing Freeview TV signals.

EE is aiming for one million 4G customers by the end of 2013, promising updates on this target in the near future.

The 4GEE network recently hit 50% coverage in the UK, as it expanded to new towns and cities.

MORE: EE 4G UK – details on coverage, speeds, phones and prices

by Joe Cox

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Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).