EE 4G Base Rises To 10.9m As Coverage Reaches 90 Percent

EE says it is “firmly” on track to reach 14 million 4G customers by the end of the year – nearly half the current 30.9 million (including M2M and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)) total connections on its network – after reaching 10.9 million during the first half of 2015.

Europe’s “largest” 4G operator says improved coverage, technical innovations and bundled services contributed to the growth, with revenues up 0.1 percent to £3.1 billion for the first six months of the year.

In total, 1.6 million new 4G users were added during the period, with half opting for double-speed 4GEE Extra Plans. EE’s business customer base also rose by 7.6 percent to 8,300 and now includes the likes of Abercrombie and Fitch, Lufthansa, Yorkshire Water and thetrainline.com.

EE 4G report

EE’s 4G network now reaches 90 percent of the population, the most of any UK network, and covers 600 towns and cities as well as 6,200 smaller settlements and villages. By way of comparison, earlier this week, Vodafone revealed it had 4.7 million 4G users in the UK, with 68 percent coverage.

“Our established leadership in 4G and key differentiators such as Wi-Fi calling are working well for the business,” said EE CEO Olaf Swantee. “We’re the clear network market leader and this, combined with our strong operational performance, has led to a return to revenue growth while delivering our best ever EBITDA margin.

“The business continues to focus squarely on improving customer satisfaction and on cross-selling our innovative range of consumer and B2B 4G connected products.”

EE’s fixed broadband base increased by 35 percent, thanks to bundling and EE TV, while the number of devices per customer jumped to 1.24. The company also revealed 1.1 million users have taken it up on the offer of a free power bar.

BT is currently seeking regulatory approval for a £12.5 billion takeover of EE, which it hopes will be completed by early 2016.

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