News
BT-owned mobile operator to switch on Cat 9 capable networks in Birmingham, Manchester before end of 2016.
EE on Tuesday added a third carrier to its LTE-Advanced network at Wembley Stadium, London, increasing the peak speed to up to 450 Mbps for customers who own compatible 4G handsets.
The BT-owned mobile operator said anyone who owns an LTE Cat 9 device, such as the HTC M10, Samsung Galaxy S7, or Samsung Galaxy Note 7 – which will be available again once Samsung can guarantee it won’t spontaneously combust – will be able to connect to the upgraded network.
"There’s no point having the latest smartphones on a network that can’t support the top speeds the device is capable of," said EE chief executive Marc Allera. "We’ve invested in our network to ensure that all of our customers get the most out of the amazing smartphones they have, and can keep up with the highest speeds that the latest devices offer."
EE reached the new top speed using three carriers that combine 20 MHz of 1800-MHz spectrum with 35 MHz of 2.6-GHz spectrum.
It plans to extend the reach of its triple-carrier LTE-A network to London’s Tech City, followed by Birmingham and Manchester later this year. Other cities will follow in 2017.
