Millions get mobile network boost as EE expands 5G standalone for the UK

• By the end of August 2025, EE’s 5G standalone network will be available to more than 34 million people, covering over half of the entire UK population.
• Customers in Aberdeen, Canterbury, Ipswich, Loughborough, Paignton, Windsor and Wrexham among millions set to benefit as EE makes more than 45 new locations live this summer.
• 5G standalone customers on EE get access to a smoother, more reliable and more secure mobile connection built for better livestreaming, video calling and mobile gaming.

More than 34 million people will be able to access the UK’s most advanced and reliable mobile technology this summer, as the nationwide rollout of EE’s new 5G standalone network hits a major milestone.

By the end of August, EE’s 5G standalone network will be available to more than half of the UK population, including major cities, tourist hotspots and major sport and entertainment venues – which would make it the UK’s biggest 5G standalone network less than a year on from launch. ¹

EE’s ambition is to make 5G standalone available to more than 41 million people by spring 2026.

Several towns and cities across the UK have already had their mobile connectivity boosted in recent weeks, with EE making 5G standalone live in Carlisle, Chesterfield, Hemel Hempstead, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gosport, Slough, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton Coldfield and York among others.

In the next month, customers in a further 38 locations will also benefit from a boost to their network performance. These include Aberdeen, Beverley, Blyth, Boston, Canterbury, Chippenham, Cleethorpes, Crawley, Derby, Exmouth, Great Malvern, Grimsby, Halifax, Harlow, Havant, Inverness, Ipswich, Leyland, Lichfield, Loughborough, Norwich, Paignton, Peterborough, Royal Leamington Spa, Salisbury, Shrewsbury, St Albans, St Neots, Sutton in Ashfield, Trowbridge, Wellingborough, Whitley Bay, Windsor, Winsford, Wishaw, Wokingham, Wrexham, Yeovil.

As well as expanding the availability of its 5G standalone network at an unprecedented pace, EE has now also made its Voice over 5G standalone (Vo5G) feature available to iOS and Android users in the UK with 5GSA-compatible devices and plans. These customers are now able to make voice calls in more places, with faster setup times that reduce the delay between dialling a number and the phone starting to ring – keeping them connected to the people they care about most, when it matters. ²

5G standalone is a new type of mobile connectivity built to unleash the true power of 5G for EE customers throughout the UK, delivering smoother livestreaming, faster loading and upload speeds, better indoor connectivity, as well as improved video calls and mobile gaming. The network has been built to deliver up to 100 times more capacity than 4G connectivity, making it significantly better at handling demands from lots of devices at once – delivering more reliable mobile internet for EE customers even in busy areas like train stations and high streets, and during major events at places like Wembley Stadium.

As well as significant improvements for customers, building a nationwide 5G standalone network will also deliver a huge boost to the UK economy, with new research showing it can help unlock up to £230 billion in benefits and productivity enhancements for the nation.

“Whether you are video calling from a crowded train station, livestreaming on social media from a sold-out concert, or simply staying in touch with your family and friends over the summer holidays, 5G standalone on EE makes your experience smoother, faster and more secure,” said Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group.

“Delivering a high-quality mobile experience every day for millions of people is what matters to us, it’s what has driven us to build the UK’s most reliable network and why we’re now delivering 5G standalone to more people in more places across the UK.” ³

The number of smartphones, tablets and laptops that are compatible with 5G standalone has grown significantly, with devices from Apple, Samsung, Google, Honor, Nothing, Lenovo, Sony, TCL and Microsoft all enabled to connect to EE’s most advanced network. ⁴

To access 5G standalone, customers will need to be in a location where 5G standalone is available, have a compatible device and an EE 5GSA-ready SIM card or eSIM as part of their monthly plan.

To ensure more people experience the benefits of the cutting-edge technology, 5G standalone is available on EE to all new and upgrading customers taking any EE pay monthly handset plan.

Notes to editors:

¹ Based on publicly available information on the reach of 5G standalone networks for UK operators.

² Faster call setup times for 5G standalone customers using Voice over 5G (Vo5G) vs EPS fallback.

³ UK’s most reliable network claim based on the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Report: H2 2024. Tested at locations across the UK with the best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of EE. Visit ee.co.uk/claims for more details.

⁴ Full list of smartphones, tablets, laptops and devices which are compatible with EE’s 5G standalone network can be found here.

Locations where EE’s 5G standalone network is already available include: Ashton-Under-Lyne, Altrincham, Barrow-in-Furness, Barry, Bath, Belfast, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bradford, Bridgend, Bristol, Bury, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Corby, Coventry, Cwmbran, Doncaster, Dudley, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Huddersfield, Hull, Hyde, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newport, Nottingham, Port Talbot, Rotherham, Sale, Sheffield, St Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Swansea, Wakefield, Walkden, Weston Super Mare, Wigan, Wilmslow, Wolverhampton.

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers - over 700 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about