EE says its 5G network now covers half of the UK population

UK MNO EE claims it is the first operator to expand its 5G coverage to more than 50% of people in the country.

Having launched in in May 2019,  EE’s 5G network has now passed the 50% population milestone thanks to new or improved access in Blackpool, Clacton-on-Sea, Clitheroe, Cowes, Eastbourne, Exeter, Exmouth, Falmouth, Great Malvern, Hastings, Inverness, Minehead, Morecambe, Plymouth, Pontypridd, Poole, Ross-on-Wye, Salisbury, St Austell and Tiverton.

EE has pledged to offer 5G anywhere in the UK by 2028 ‘through its macro network and ‘on demand’ connectivity solutions.’ EE makes an effort to tie this 50% population milestone to some government messaging, stating that this comes one year ahead of its own targets and five years ahead of ‘the government’s ambition.’

Right on cue Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez popped up to say: “I am delighted to see EE has made good progress rolling out 5G to half of the country. The technology, which can be up to 20 times faster than 4G, will help us in our aims to level up our economy and unleash the potential of communities across the UK. We are working alongside industry to boost rural coverage through a £1 billion deal with mobile phone operators and are developing a new strategy to boost further investment in 5G and help operators rapidly expand their networks.”

Marc Allera, CEO Consumer Division at BT Group added: “Today’s milestone is a huge achievement in our 5G journey. EE was the first network to launch 5G in the UK and now we’re the first mobile network operator to take the technology to 50% of the UK population. Our ambitions for 5G don’t stop here. We’ll continue to invest in our network to provide our customers with unrivalled connectivity.”

It should be noted that population coverage is not the same as geographical coverage, the former being a metric which can be made up primarily of densely populated areas as opposed to how much of the country you can pick up a 5G signal in. But it’s a milestone nonetheless.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox. Register for the Telecoms.com newsletter here.