EE has announced trials of a new 4G home broadband antenna that it expects will provide more than 580,000 UK homes with high-speed internet for the first time.
The new 4G home broadband solution combines the 4GEE Home Router with a powerful external antenna and professional installation service. EE believes it will deliver high-speed internet in rural areas that can only access broadband speeds under 10Mbps today.
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.”
One area where EE has been testing its solution, the Northern Fells in Cumbria, has dramatic topography which makes traditional fibre broadband difficult.
Mal Hilton, Chairman, Northern Fells Broadband said:
“This new service from EE is going to help households in some of the most isolated areas of Cumbria; areas where residents simply cannot and may never receive fibre connectivity. It is going to radically change the lives of people in this community.
With fast and reliable home internet for the very first time, they can now function like everybody else in the UK.”
Up to 32 devices can be connected to EE’s 4GEE Home router — which is ready to go from the box, and does not require a landline. The antenna is fitted to the side of a customer’s property. In the tests in Cumbria, the solution has provided speeds over 100Mbps.
EE claims its 4G network covers 90 percent of the UK’s landmass; which represents coverage of 99.6 percent of homes.
Alongside its new 4G antenna solution, EE has launched the UK’s first combined fixed and mobile broadband coverage checker for customers to see the best solution for their postcode.
You can find out more about the solution here.
What are your thoughts on EE’s new 4G antenna solution? Let us know in the comments.
