EE is bringing LTE to service to one of the most remote areas of the UK, which has so far not had the benefits of next-generation fixed and mobile broadband services. The operator continues to build its lead over its rivals in LTE coverage and is demonstrating that it bring the high-speed service to rural as well as urban areas.
 |
|
EE is bringing LTE coverage to rural Cumbria. |
Northern Fells, Cumbria, remains unserved by fiber or other super-fast fixed technology. EE said the LTE launch, set to cover 84 per cent of the population of Northern Fells by this summer, will help it decide on other potential LTE rollouts across rural parts of the UK.
EE has been running an LTE mobile broadband trial in Cumbria since May 2012. Participants of the trial saw speeds in the range of 8-12 Mbps and frequent performance above 20 Mbps, according to EE.
Plans will start at £15.99 per month and EE said it will evaluate usage and behaviour to potentially develop other plans specific to rural customers. The technology will run on EE's 1800 MHz spectrum and cover almost 100 square miles that serve as home to more than 2,000 residents.
The company has been focusing on rolling out LTE services before rivals gain access to airwaves bought at the recent LTE spectrum auction.
"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," EE CEO Olaf Swantee said. "This is yet another big step in advancing digital communications in the UK."
EE, which first launched LTE service last October, now covers 37 UK towns and cities and plans to deploy LTE in 72 locations by the summer. The company is aiming for 98 per cent coverage of the UK population by the end of next year.
For more:
- see this release
- see this Telegraph article
- see this Mobile News article
- see this Engadget article
Related Articles:
EE's LTE subs spending 10% more, but company stays shy on user numbers
Study finds EE's LTE network performance lives up to expectations
EE slashes LTE pricing as UK spectrum auction gets underway
EE: LTE service attracting big companies as early adopters