EE said it has expanded its 4G network to over 1,600 additional rural communities across the U.K.
U.K. carrier EE, which is part of BT Group, said it completed its 4G coverage upgrades under the first phase of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, six months ahead of schedule.
The SRN is a partnership between the U.K.’s four mobile network operators and the U.K. government to extend 4G mobile connectivity to rural areas across the country.
To deliver the first phase of the program, all of the participating carriers committed to upgrade or build mobile infrastructure and extend the reach of their 4G networks to eliminate partial “not-spots”—which are areas which receive coverage from at least one operator, but not all. The deadline set by telecommunications regulator Ofcom for all the operators to meet their individual SRN coverage targets for partial not-spot areas is June 2024.
EE said it has expanded its 4G network to over 1,600 additional rural communities across the U.K., exceeding its SRN targets in advance of the deadline.
The second phase of the SRN, which is publicly funded by the U.K. government, is due to be completed in 2027 and will develop new, shared masts to bring 4G connectivity to areas with no existing mobile service.
EE highlighted that its mobile network currently provides mobile coverage and internet access to 99% of the population and 88% of the UK’s entire territory.
Greg McCall, chief networks officer at EE, said: “Even though we have met our Shared Rural Network commitments months ahead of time, we will continue to focus on enhancing mobile connectivity in areas without any existing coverage to ensure everyone – residents, tourists, local businesses and the emergency services – have the connectivity they need to thrive in the years ahead.”
EE also said it had deployed its mobile masts in non-intrusive locations across the rural areas.
EE had previously announced its 5G network has already reached 60% population coverage in the country. EE initially launched 5G technology in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester in 2019. Other large cities in which the telco offers 5G coverage includes Bristol, Covently, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.
To reach its current 5G coverage, EE used its 700 MHz 5G spectrum to offer indoor and wider rural coverage. EE secured 2×10 megahertz of paired frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band at a cost of £280 million (currently $349 million); 20 megahertz of supplementary downlink spectrum in the 700 MHz band at a cost of £4 million; and 40 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band for £168 million.
