All products and promotions are independently selected by our experts. To help us provide free impartial advice, we will earn an affiliate commission if you buy something. Click here to learn more
If you have an EE SIM card inside your phone, you could see a dramatic speed boost from today. The mobile network has confirmed plans to upgrade 500,000 users across the UK at no cost.
EE is unlocking its 5G+ speeds for thousands who joined the popular network between September 2024 and March 2025. The BT-owned brand claims this is "the UK’s most advanced mobile technology" and promises 5G+ will deliver a stronger, more reliable mobile signal — especially in busy places, like high streets and city centres.
Provided you've got a compatible iOS or Android device, 5G+ unlocks improved download and upload speeds, so you'll be able to video call, livestream, stream music, or upload to social media without interruptions or buffering.
Get 50% off unlimited 5G data SIM deal from EE this Black Friday
The Unlimited Essentials SIM-only deal from EE from EE offers access to an endless amount of 5G data. You'll be able to stream endless music, podcasts, videos, and upload to social media anywhere in the UK without worrying about ever hitting a data limit. Not only that, but you'll benefit from unlimited minutes and text messages too. If you have friends or family on EE, you can gift data to them too
EE Unlimited Essentials SIM
$32
$16
As well as upgrading half a million people to this boosted 5G service, EE has added 5G+ speeds across 20 new towns and cities ahead of the busy festive season – benefiting a further 1.6 million people.
EE's next-generation 5G+ service is now available in all the UK’s major cities and most populous towns, including those with Christmas markets and festive attractions such as Bath, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, York, Belfast and London. It has also been deployed at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, which, as the UK’s largest outdoor Christmas market, attracts around 3 million visitors over the festive period.
According to EE, its 5G+ signal is now available to 60% of the UK population — five months ahead of schedule, as part of its ambitious plan to reach 99% of the UK by 2030, well ahead of any other UK operator.
Other mobile networks refer to the 5G+ services as 5G Standalone, or 5GSA.
Belfast Christmas Market, pictured above, is one of the areas across the UK where EE users will benefit from 5G+ signal for faster downloads and a more reliable connection in busy crowds
|EE PRESS OFFICE
Whatever the name, the service refers to a brand-new network built from the ground up for the next-generation 5G speeds. According to EE, the benefits of using 5GSA are as follows...
- Improved indoor coverage
- More reliable mobile internet
- Improved consistency of mobile download speeds
- Lower latency connections
- Battery life improvements for mobile devices
Until now, most 5G networks have relied on a mixture of 5G and older 4G infrastructure, with devices frequently bouncing between 5G and 4G, depending on the coverage and the level of congestion.
5G Standalone, or 5G+, is a completely separate network that uses the latest 5G wireless standards from end-to-end.
It's the consistency of this new connection that will improve battery life, since there's no need for your smartphone to switch between 4G and 5G networks in the background throughout the day.
By removing the older 4G architecture entirely, you'll be able to expect better consistency in mobile download speeds as you move from outdoors to indoors. Since it's unencumbered by existing 4G networks, you'll maintain fast speeds in busy areas.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
EE CEO Marc Allera announced the launch of its 5G+ service at the BT headquarters in September 2024
| EE PRESS OFFICEChief Networks Officer at BT Group, Greg McCall said: "This time of year is all about connecting with the people and things we care about most.
"With millions of people travelling to visit family, heading to the high street for their gifts, and enjoying the best festive events the UK has to offer, we’re expanding EE’s 5G+ network so the nation can benefit from its high capacity, ultra-reliable connectivity and stay connected to what matters to them this Christmas."
5G+ is currently available on all EE pay monthly handset plans, as well as its Full Works and All Rounder SIM-only plans. With more than 15% of all EE pay monthly customers now accessing 5G+, millions of people in the UK are now benefiting every day from the enhanced network performance it offers.
EE’s long-term plan will see 99% of the UK population get 5G+ connectivity by Spring 2030. As part of the next phase of its rollout, EE has made 5G+ available in 20 new locations across the UK in the run up to Christmas, with a total population of more than 1.6 million people. These locations include:
- Ballymena
- Burton-on-Trent
- Chelmsford
- Dewsbury
- Ellesmere Port
- Gateshead
- Greenock
- Hamilton
- Hartlepool
- Hatfield
- Hereford
- Londonderry
- Newark
- Oldham
- Rochdale
- Solihull
- Stafford
- Stevenage
- Tamworth
- Warwick
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News