EE, part of BT Group, today unveiled a new 4G home broadband solution which could connect around 8,000 homes in Lancashire especially those in rural areas that are currently only able to access broadband slower than 10Mbps. The service will provide customers with superfast broadband speeds at home using the power of EE’s 4G network. Customer trials in the Northern Fells area of Cumbria have delivered speeds of over 100Mbps.
EE’s new 4G home broadband, which combines the 4GEE Home Router with a powerful external antenna and professional installation service, has been designed specifically as an alternative for those in rural communities that have yet to be connected with traditional fixed line broadband access – or where customers can only receive slower fixed broadband speeds.
EE has recently been trialling the solution in the Cumbrian Northern Fells, an area with dramatic topography. Currently many homes in rural Cumbria can only get limited broadband access, and EE, working with the Northern Fells Broadband initiative has worked to trial the service with users in the area.
The new solution allows customers to access EE’s superfast 4G network which currently extends to 90% of the UK’s landmass (equal to more than 99.6% of UK homes). EE predicts that there are 580,000 UK homes, including around 8,000 in Lancashire, with slow or no fixed line access which could benefit from the solution – with EE continuing to roll out 4G in to new areas of the UK on the way to its ambition to extend 4G to 95% geographic coverage
Max Taylor, Managing Director of Marketing, EE said: “As our network continues to expand into some of the most remote parts of the UK, we’ve seen the amazing impact that 4G connectivity can have on rural communities. Our newest 4G home broadband router and antenna takes this one step further, ensuring thousands of families in rural areas across the UK could enjoy the benefits of superfast broadband inside their home for the very first time – whether video-calling the grandparents or streaming their favourite TV series.”
Sarah Lee, Head of Policy at the Countryside Alliance, said: “Fast and reliable internet is just as essential in the countryside as it is in urban areas, but unfortunately it is not currently as widely available. This is a major issue for everyday life at home – students rely on a decent internet for research, parents need to bank online and thousands of rural families are missing out on a wealth of on-demand entertainment. We welcome this innovative 4G solution from EE and believe it will have a big impact on some of the most remote communities across the UK.”
According to independent research by Thinkbroadband, 95% of UK homes and businesses have access to a fixed broadband service offering ‘superfast’ speeds of more than 24Mbps and less than 3% can’t order a ‘decent’ 10Mbps service
