If you use the EE network then you should find your Android or iPhone device is getting a little faster from today. The UK firm, which is now owned by BT, has revealed that it's giving things an upgrade thanks to the launch of over 400 small cell installations across Britain.
These mini boosters are being placed in areas that are already congested by the large number of phones connected to the EE network. But that's not all as the company has also confirmed that seasonable hotspots - which get busy during certain periods of the year - are also getting the update.
EE is boasting that the investment will mean more users will see downloads in excess of 280Mbps when using their phones away from home. Incredibly, that's over three times faster than the current UK fixed-line broadband average.
As EE explains, "Small cells take advantage of existing street assets, such as BT’s iconic red telephone boxes, to help enhance street-level mobile coverage in busy areas where it’s impractical to build larger sites, such as city-centres and transport hubs. As well as being located on phone boxes, lamp posts and CCTV columns, EE has installed approximately 60 small cells on BT’s innovative new digital Street Hubs, further maximising the benefit of these assets to communities."
So where are these boosters being installed? EE has confirmed that areas including Birmingham, Brighton, Sheffield, Swansea, Leicester, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Southampton, York, Newquay, Paignton, Salcombe, Southend-on-Sea and Clacton-on-Sea are all on the list.
This latest boost takes the total number of small cell sites to over 600 after an original rollout took place last year.
As long as you have a 4G-powered smartphone you'll get access to the improved speeds for free. The only thing to remember is that some of EE's plans have a maximum download level so you'll only get what you pay for,
Speaking about the changes, James Hope, Director of Mobile Radio Access Networks, EE, said: “As demand for data continues to rise, small cells are becoming an increasingly integral part of our mobile network.
"Our partnership with Nokia ensures customers continue to benefit from our fastest 4G speeds even at the busiest times and in the most congested of locations, and we’re proud to pass another milestone in this project as we continue to invest in improving the UK’s best mobile network* up and down the country.”
