EE on We dnesday unveiled plans to invest a further £1.5 billion in its 4G network by 2017, and also set out the foundations for its future investment plans for 5G.
Network rollout commitments for the next two years include reaching more than 99% of the population and 90% of the UK’s geography in what EE described as the second phase of its 4G network strategy.
"Stage one of our network strategy saw us overhaul UK mobile networks, launching 4G and changing the way people and businesses use their smart devices,” said CEO Olaf Swantee. "Today we’re announcing the next stage with a commitment to, once again, radically improve mobile coverage, this time with a strong focus on rural UK, all while continuing to increase speeds and capacity with deeper coverage in more cities.”
The investment will include the use of micro network technology to improve rural coverage: the company already unveiled plans in December to improve mobile coverage in rural areas with targeted deployments of outdoor, public access small cells. EE also noted that the deployment of low-frequency 800 MHz spectrum would expand its reach by more than 1,500 square miles.
The announcement by EE, which is in the process of being acquired by BT in a proposed £12.5 billion deal, came a day after RootMetrics revealed the results of recent network quality tests that showed EE winning five of six categories outright and tied for first place with 3UK in network reliability testing.
The £1.5 billion programme also includes the extension of “double-speed 4G” to reach 90% of the population, with so-called 4G+ or LTE Advanced in 20 of the busiest UK cities by 2017. Other targets include the launch of voice over LTE (VoLTE), WiFi calling, and a foundation for technology and research for 5G.
"We’ve invested in 4G and taken the UK back to a position of leadership in mobile, and now we’re investing in 5G so that we can define the next step, and keep both us and the UK mobile industry one step ahead,” said EE principal network architect, Professor Andy Sutton.
EE is already working closely on 5G with academic institutions such as the 5GIC at the University of Surrey and the EU’s Horizon 2020 ‘TWEETHER’ project at Lancaster University.
“We will continue to evolve new 4G technologies, as they lay the perfect foundation for being a global leader in 5G," Sutton added.
