EE Smartphone 5G User in Doncaster UK
Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has today announced the next batch of locations where their new 5G Standalone (SA) mobile network will be deployed and made it available to all new customers. By the end of March 2025, the new 5GSA network will be live and available to over 28 million people across 50 “major towns and cities” in the UK (over 40% of the population).
The majority of 5G mobile networks today are still Non-Standalone (NSA), which means they are partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support for Voice over New Radio (VoNR or Vo5G) and increased reliability and security etc.
NOTE: Network slicing allows for multiple virtual network slices across the same physical network. Each slice is isolated from other network traffic to give dedicated performance, with the features of the slice tailored to the use case requirements (online gaming, enhanced mobile broadband etc.).
In case anybody has forgotten, EE officially launched a range of new 5G SA supporting mobile plans across 15 major UK cities in September 2024 (here), including Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield. A month after that, they added another batch of 16 locations (here) and have continued to expand.
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Unlike some of their rivals, EE states that they only announce 5GSA availability once a location has “at least 95% outdoor coverage“, so customers upgrading to the new technology know they will receive a “reliable and consistent experience“. Some of the new places set to benefit from EE’s 5G standalone upgrades in the next few weeks include the following locations.
Latest Additions to EE’s 5GSA Network
Altrincham
Blackburn
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Corby
Cwmbran
Doncaster
Exeter
Huddersfield
Hyde
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes
Port Talbot
Rotherham
Sale
Sunderland
Wakefield
Walkden
Wilmslow
However, 5G SA technology is still somewhat constrained by limited device support among end-users, which is required in order for end-users to be able to fully harness the new network. But this problem will typically resolve itself as consumers go through their usual upgrade cycles. The technology is also available on EE’s latest 5GEE Wi-Fi and 5GEE Home (Smart 5G Hub) devices.
Malcolm Cubitt, Director of Mobile at EE, said:
“5G standalone is giving many customers a better and more reliable mobile experience, especially in busy locations. As we rapidly expand our network footprint to cover more than 40 percent of the UK population, we are widening its accessibility so more people can benefit – especially those looking to harness the power of cutting-edge features on the newest smartphones.”
In support of their ongoing coverage rollout and wider smartphone ecosystem, from today, EE said they would also be making 5GSA available to “all new and upgrading customers taking any EE handset plan“, enabling more consumers to access this next-generation network experience.
NOTE: Locations where EE’s 5GSA is already available: Ashton-Under-Lyne, Barrow-in-Furness, Barry, Bath, Belfast, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Bury, Cardiff, Coventry, Dudley, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newport, Nottingham, Sheffield, St Helens, Stockport, Swansea, Weston Super Mare, Wigan, Wolverhampton.