Telecom Lead Europe: UK’s fourth generation mobile service provider EE will expand 4G coverage to more than 65 UK towns and cities by June 2013 from the present 38.
EE on Tuesday said that 4G will be switched on in a further 27 towns across the country by June 2013.
In November, EE reported its 4G LTE service will cover a third of the British population by the end of 2012. In November, EE’s mobile service provides coverage to 99 percent of the population with 2G and 98 percent of the population with 3G.
EE’s 4G offers speeds up to five times faster than 3G.
British businesses expect 4G to help increase productivity (58 percent) and boost employee well-being and motivation (38 percent).
UK enterprises such as Addison Lee, Foxtons, Gatwick Airport, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Kier, Microsoft, Morrisons, Sony Music, TNT Post and Urban Outfitters are already using 4G.
Eyeing both enterprise and retail users, EE will offer BlackBerry Z10 and Q10. The BlackBerry Z10 will be available on EE’s 4G service via the EE online shop, EE telesales and EE retail stores from tomorrow. It will be available across a range of 4GEE price plans, and is £49.99 on a £41 per month 24 month package, with users receiving 1GB of mobile data, as well as unlimited UK calls and texts.
Olaf Swantee, chief executive officer, EE, says its business customers want a 4G network that covers the markets in which they operate.
EE 4G network currently covers 45 percent of the UK population, and is forecast to increase to more than 55 percent by summer, as the network grows to cover more than 65 towns and cities as well as much of the suburban and rural areas that surround them.
At the end of January, nine new 4G towns were switched on, and this week 4G coverage from EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator, landed in Newbury – the 28th live 4G town.
