Millions of EE customers to benefit from major free network upgrades
UK mobile provider EE has announced "major network updates" that it says are set to benefit its millions of customers by improving the reliability of EE's 5G network.
The firm says it is the first mobile operator in the world to switch on what's known as Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) technology, which is said to result in "faster, more consistent performance" of 5G, in turn passing on faster download speeds and video streaming as well as more reliable connections to smartphones connected to the EE 5G network.
"ARC is already live in Manchester and Edinburgh," EE said in a press release. "Throughout the next year, EE will roll out the technology to London, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Cardiff, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland. Customers using the latest 5G standalone devices on iOS and Android will see the biggest performance gains."
As well as this, EE also said it was continuing to roll out its 5G standalone network across the UK to include 17 more towns and cities. These are Basildon, Bolton, Brighton & Hove, Colchester, Gloucester, Lincoln, Maidstone, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northampton, Oxford, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, and Telford.
This new list adds to the 45 new locations EE announced the technology was coming to in July.
The announcement of 5G network updates comes the same day, Tuesday September 9, that Apple is expected to announce its latest iPhone 17 range.
5G standalone technology refers to when 5G networks are built with their own network "core" to work independently, rather than relying on older 4G network infrastructure. Early 5G networks, of which EE launched the first in the UK in 2019, mostly used older 4G core networks to supply new 5G signals.
EE claims 5G standalone can result in faster speeds and more reliable connections for smartphones in busy areas such as cities and stadiums thanks to better management of network capacity.
The catch for some customers is that 5G standalone is only compatible with certain smartphone handsets, a full list of which can be viewed on EE's website. The oldest compatible iPhone is 2023's iPhone 15.
According to EE, these are the requirements to use 5G standalone as an EE customer:
- An All Rounder or Full Works pay monthly mobile plan bought after 29 August 2024.
- A pay monthly handset plan bought after 19 March 2025.
- A SIM card activated after September 2021, or any eSIM.
- A compatible device.
- Be in a 5G Standalone coverage area.
"As smartphones continue to evolve, so does EE," said Malcolm Cubitt, Director of Mobile Product at EE. "With world-first innovations like ARC and the expansion of 5G standalone, we're unlocking smoother streaming, next-level gaming and better integration across devices. And because EE does more, our bespoke plans and services ensure customers get the very best from their smartphones, today and in the future."
EE said it would make its 5G standalone network available to more than 41 million people across the UK, though that number is dependent on those people being an EE customer and using a compatible 5G device on an eligible plan.