EE, part of BT’s consumer mobile group, plans to offer high performance 5G across the entire U.K. and fuse its mobile, Wi-Fi and fiber infrastructures into a fully converged network.
The plan includes driving 4G connectivity deeper into rural areas, adding more than 4,500 square miles of new signal by 2025. The EE 5G network will grow to cover half of the U.K. population by early 2023 and then pass the geographic reach of 4G to become the U.K.’s largest digital network by 2028, providing signals to more than 90% of the country.
“Over the past 18 months we’ve helped the U.K. to meet the demands of a pandemic,” said Philip Jansen, CEO of BT Group. “We must now look ahead to deliver the strongest foundations to drive future growth. We’re making a uniquely ambitious, long-term commitment to drive high performance 5G further and faster, and to integrate it at the core with our fiber network for a seamless customer experience. Openreach was first to fiber, EE was first to 5G and together BT will be first to a fully converged future.”
Additional network rollouts will include:
- Increasing BT’s role in the deployment of neutral host systems.
- Third party infrastructure that can handle multiple networks.
- Better 4G and 5G coverage in airports, stadiums and campuses.
- A wide range of “on demand” coverage solutions including an emergency services network.
- Portable cells for temporary mobile connectivity to expand and diversify enhanced coverage.
- Targeting air and space technologies such as drones and satellites for future coverage.
As part of the plan, EE will start to retire 3G services beginning in 2023. 3G use has already been in decline in the U.K. and represents less than 2% of data traffic over the EE network. The spectrum used by 3G will be converted to 5G capacity in the future.
