EE has confirmed that it will be launching a 4G mobile and fixed broadband in Cumbria, offering super-fast broadband signals to some of the most rural parts of Britain.
In trial in the Northern Fells area since May last year, EE is to deliver the benefits of its high-speed internet connection one of the UK’s most rural areas for the first time.
Cumbria currently suffers from a lack of access to fibre broadband or other fast connections, but will see the 4G coverage offered to 84 per cent of the population by this summer.
The connection should offer Cumbrian residents average upload and download speeds of 8-12MB per second, with headline speeds reaching over 20MB per second.
“Superfast broadband is making a massive difference to the way that people live their lives and do business,” said Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and Borders. “The 4G trial that started last year has already made a substantial difference to people in the Northern Fells community, and it is a hugely positive step to see this being moved to a full launch over the coming months.”
EE will launch the 4G service with its existing range of consumer and business tariffs, which start at a reasonable £15.99 per month, but are sure to rocket for different data allowance brackets.
“Using our dedication to innovation and engineering excellence, we are overcoming the challenges of delivering rural connectivity to launch a 4G mobile broadband service in Cumbria,” said CEO of EE, Olaf Swantee. “We’re offering one of the fastest mobile networks in the world, and are pioneering how to make superfast broadband available to homes and businesses that currently have little or no connectivity.”
The recent 4G mobile spectrum auction held by Ofcom saw Three, Niche Spectrum Ventures (a BT Group subsidiary), O2 Telefonica and Vodafone all win the opportunity to launch their own 4G broadband services. The other network providers will be launching their own superfast connections within the next six months.
EE is currently the only UK network to offer the 4G network, but was given expanded bandwidth as part of the Ofcom auction. It plans to roll out coverage to over half the UK population by June, with Cumbria being the latest UK location to receive access to 4G.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
