EE Connects 94% of all Roads with Expansion of 4G Network

EE has announced its 4G network now covers 94% of Great Britain’s roads, bringing reliable mobile connectivity to even more people and places.

Customers can now use EE’s award-winning 4G network on over 322,000 miles of roads across Great Britain, the equivalent distance of Land’s End to John O’Groats more than 500 times over. EE has also expanded its 4G coverage footprint in every national park in Great Britain this year, with more than two thirds (69%) of the total area now covered.

According to the latest Connected Nations report published by Ofcom today, EE’s 4G network has the largest geographical coverage at 85% - 6% higher than the last placed operator. In 2020, EE has built 160 new sites - 92 in Scotland, 43 in England, and 25 in Wales.

EE’s mobile network investment will help meet the yearly 40% increase in 4G data usage and will provide the foundation for EE’s 5G network as rollout continues across the UK. The new sites will help customers stay connected to the things that matter to them the most, at a time where connectivity is more important than ever.

EE has also partnered with the Scottish Government, the Home Office, the Scottish Futures Trust and WHP Telecoms Ltd. to bring 4G to some of Scotland’s most rural locations for the first time. Strathconon, Blairmore, Little Mill and Reawick have all been connected to 4G, with a further 31 locations across Scotland in the pipeline to be delivered through the Scottish Government’s Scottish 4G Infill programme.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer business, said: “Having access to a resilient and reliable mobile network has never been more important. Our 4G network covers more of the UK’s geography than any other, and we’re continuing to invest in it right across the UK to keep our customers connected and bring coverage to rural areas for the very first time. 4G forms the basis of our award-winning 5G network, and with this investment we’ll be able to roll out the latest mobile technology to even more parts of the UK.”

As part of EE’s Emergency Service Network partnership with the Home Office, EE’s 4G network is used to support the critical work of the emergency services. ESN’s Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) and Rapid Response Cells (RRCs) are mobile 4G base stations, enabling them to provide 4G coverage in any place at any time and extending EE’s network even further. In 2020, these emergency response capabilities helped provide temporary, remote coverage for emergency workers during a rural railway derailment in Scotland, replacement signal for sites damaged in arson attacks and additional capacity to support COVID-19 testing stations.

EE’s network has been named the UK’s best network for seven years running. EE continues to top the results in UK wide overall mobile network testing, winning six of RootMetrics’ awards outright – overall performance, reliability, accessibility, speed, data, and call – and taking joint first for text.

EE launched the UK’s first 5G service in May 2019 and now has 5G in 112 towns and cities across the UK. In the last 12 months, EE has more than doubled its amount of 5G sites in key cities such as Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh, bringing the latest mobile technology to even more people.