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EE will finish rolling out its next-generation upgrade to 19 new towns towns and cities by the end of this month. In total, 28 million people nationwide will now be covered by its supercharged new 5G network.
If you have a compatible handset and SIM-only plan from EE — you won't need to do anything.
As soon as the next-generation mobile network arrives in your local area, you can access faster downloads and improved 5G signal indoors. EE announced its upgraded 5G network in September last year, flipping a switch to enable the upgraded sigal in the four UK capitals and a number of other metropolitan areas.
EE says its included the underlying technology in its SIM cards for some time, so if you've recently upgraded to a newer plan, it's possible you won't need to request a new one. Of course, compatible handsets with eSIM will be able to jump over to the new standalone 5G network immediately.
The new mobile network standard, known as 5G Standalone or 5GSA, will unlock faster download speeds, better signal indoors, and improvements to battery life on their smartphones and tablets.
EE has slowly been working to make its 5G Standalone network available in more places nationwide, with Wembley Stadium becoming the first sports venue in the UK with its own permanent 5G Standalone network earlier this year.
At launch, EE SIM-only plans with access to the next-generation 5G Standalone network started from £48 a month. However, that monthly fee has dropped dramatically in recent months. In the latest EE sale, you can secure this all-singing, all-dancing SIM-only plan for just £24 — saving you £288 over the course of a year.
Save £288 when you upgrade to EE 5G standalone with Netflix + EU roaming at no cost
To unlock access to EE's 5G Standalone network, you'll need to upgrade to a new SIM card. EE offers unlimited mobile data for your Apple Watch or other smartwatch, a speedy VIP connection when the network is busy, and no additional charges when roaming in the EU with its 5GSA plans. You can also pick an extra, like a Netflix subscription, or Google One Premium 2TB plan — saving £288 with this limited time offer
But while you'll need a specific SIM-only plan to access 5G Standadlone, starting from today, EE is making 5G Standalone available to all new and upgrading customers who sign-up for any EE handset plan from today.
EE only announces that 5G Standalone has arrived in an area of the UK once it's reached at least 95% outdoor coverage, so you'll know the new technology will receive a reliable and consistent experience. Some of the new places set to benefit from EE’s supercharged new 5G network in the next coming weeks include:
- Altrincham
- Blackburn
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Corby
- Cwmbran
- Doncaster
- Exeter
- Huddersfield
- Hyde
- Middlesbrough
- Milton Keynes
- Port Talbot
- Rotherham
- Sale
- Sunderland
- Wakefield
- Walkden
- Wilmslow
Until the arrival of 5G Standalone, EE customers' devices bounce between 5G and 4G, depending on the coverage. As the name suggests, EE 5GSA is a completely separate network that uses the latest 5G wireless standard end-to-end.
It's this new-found consistency of this new connection that will improve battery life, since there's no need for your smartphone to switch between 4G and 5G networks in the background throughout the day.
By stripping out older 4G architecture entirely from its new EE 5GSA network, you'll be able to expect better consistency in mobile download speeds as you move from outdoors to indoors.
At the same event, EE unveiled its first Wi-Fi 7-enabled broadband routers, the fastest of any major broadband supplier in the UK and technology that rival suppliers like Vodafone are reportedly racing to match.
Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight highlighted the importance of mobile connectivity at major events, noting that "more people want to capture, share and livestream the biggest moments."
"5G standalone is the most advanced mobile network technology and best placed to meet the demands of 90,000 people in a sold-out stadium who all want to use their smartphones at the same time," he said. "It's fantastic to see Wembley Stadium and EE leading the charge and with so many huge sport, music and other events coming up in 2025, this could be a real game changer."
EE has said it believes the technology will be the backbone of future services, as its better performance would be well placed to handle the growing number of AI-powered services, many of which require more energy and bandwidth to run smoothly.
The operator said customers could also see improvements in their phone’s battery life because of the improved energy efficiency of the network. At the launch event, EE boss Marc Allera said the new network had been "designed to unleash the huge potential of a wave of AI-powered devices."
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"5G standalone is a new mobile network giving enhanced performance to customers from day one and unlocks game-changing new services of the future," he said. "It’s been built to handle the growing range of AI-powered devices, from smartphones to laptops, tablets and more."
EE has rebuilt its network from the ground-up to offer improved speed, better reliability, and efficiency gains. It comes a few weeks after it debuted the fastest Wi-Fi router from any nationwide provider
EE PRESS OFFICE
Prices for SIM-only plans compatible with the next-generation 5GSA standard start from £24 per month.
For that, you'll get the Unlimited All-Rounder bundle. This comes with:
- Unlimited data allowance — so you'll never need to worry about running out of 5G data when streaming video, games, or songs
- Smartwatch data included, something that usually costs an extra £7 every month
- EU roaming at no extra cost — something that EE ditched from all of its new SIM-only plans three years ago
- 1x Inclusive Extra of your choice
These perks include the likes of a Netflix subscription or Google One. If you're already with EE for your home broadband, including its record-breaking new Wi-Fi 7 packages, you'll unlock £20 off bills every month.
