EE has revealed that it has already signed-up 500,000 customers in the UK in the last seven months. 

More than 2,000 companies are now using 4G business, with IKEA and Renault UK recently added to that number. The UK’s adoption is the fastest take-up of any country in Europe.

The network is being made available to more customers by enabling them to share access across devices or between people, along with pay-as-you-go data bundles for mobile broadband on tablets, smartphones and laptops.

Higher speeds and more cities

By the end of June, EE’s 4G network will reach more than 55 per cent of the UK population, and will cover 98 per cent by the end of 2014. Its next phase will target major commuter routes, shopping centres and airport hubs, with Gatwick airport recently switching on 4G for its visitors. Cities including Aberdeen, Bath, Brighton, Cambridge, Ipswich and Swansea will also be brought on board.

The company announced in April that its network, now the fastest in London, is also being ramped up to speeds of 80Mbps in the capital, along with Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. 

CCS Insight comments

Kester Mann, senior analyst operators at telecom analyst CCS Insight, believes this is a very solid start for EE’s 4G network – and says competing operators need to play catch up.

“EE’s announcement puts further pressure on Vodafone and O2, which appear unable or unwilling to bring their own 4G service to market,” says Mann. “It is realistic that they may not launch until September or October, which will be nearly a full year after EE. The longer EE retains a monopoly on LTE, the more opportunity it has to establish strong brand association with the new technology. 

“Given EE’s strong momentum, it is surprising not to have heard more from its rival operators. There has been little, beyond low-key messages from Vodafone and O2 on web sites and in in-store magazines, telling people that 4G is in the pipeline. Recent speculation has suggested that Vodafone and O2 are waiting for an updated iPhone 5, compatible with the frequencies they bought at the auction. However, there is already a strong lineup of capable devices including the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One that would support the soonest possible start.”