The UK’s largest mobile operator, EE, has activated its LTE-Advanced network, promising download speeds up to 150 Mbps. The service is initially available in central London, with plans to expand across Greater London and the country’s busiest cities by the end of 2015.
Everyday customers in areas with 4G+ coverage can expect to regularly see speeds of up to 90 Mbps. The top-tier 150 Mbps speeds will be reserved for subscribers on EE’s premium plans, branded “4GEE Extra” or “Corporate 4GEE.” The rollout uses the high-capacity 2.6 GHz spectrum and covers central London districts including Shoreditch, Old Street, Southbank, Soho, Westminster and Kensington.
To benefit from the faster connections, users need a device with an LTE Category 6 modem that can aggregate multiple frequency bands simultaneously. Devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 include Category 6 modems; by contrast, devices with Category 4 modems—such as some models of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus—are limited to a single band at a time and cannot reach the same top speeds.
EE’s improved speeds rely on carrier aggregation, combining 20 MHz channels in both the 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands. In theory, that configuration can support maximum throughput up to 300 Mbps. Fotis Karonis, EE’s Chief Technology Officer, said the company is preparing its network for future demands: “We’re building a network for the future. We’re making sure that there is enough speed, enabled by enough capacity, to let our growing 4GEE customer base do all the amazing things that are just breaking through now—4K video over 4G, wearable technology, and increasingly sophisticated mobile business apps.”
He added: “Capacity is the lifeblood of a good mobile service, and we’re adding more here to give our customers the best possible mobile experience, now and into the future.”
Alongside the LTE-Advanced launch in London, EE has switched on 4G service in 19 additional towns and cities as part of its ongoing nationwide rollout. The newly activated locations are: Alexandria (Scotland), Banbury, Biggleswade, Blaydon, Catterick Garrison, Cookstown (Northern Ireland), Garforth, Greenock, Holmfirth, Limavady (Northern Ireland), Maltby, Oxted, Penicuik (Scotland), Tring, Waltham Cross, Warminster, Warwick, Winterbourne, and Ystrad Mynach (Wales).
EE, originally formed through the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, has also expanded its “Double Speed” 4G offering. That service, delivering speeds up to 60 Mbps, is now available in 20 locations and reaches more than half of the UK population. The operator plans to bring Double Speed coverage to a further 20 large towns and cities before the end of the year.
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