EE has reached a major milestone in its bid to boost signal in some of the UK’s busiest spots without needing to build huge new masts.
The company has been steadily working on street-level miniature masts – known as “small cells” – which are attached to existing everyday things you see on roads, like red phone boxes and lampposts.
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Efforts first started back in 2022 but as of today, BT-owned EE has switched on 1,000.
Most of these have all been 4G but in a further development, the firm has announced their first 5G miniture mast spots.
The 4G equipment boosts mobile broadband speeds to up to 300Mbps, while the 5G kit takes it to a maximum of 600Mbps, according to the company.
Not only is it said to be faster but there should be reduced congestion on the network.
So far, the 4G mini masts have been added to major cities, towns and tourist sites including Cardiff, Dundee, Cumbria, Norwich, Stoke-on-Trent, and Torbay.
Seven sites around Croydon are the first to get 5G mini masts as part of a trial – one of which sees 3TB of data traffic each day.
“Small cells are an integral component within our mobile network, ensuring that even in the busiest places our customers have access to the full performance of the UK’s best network,” said Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT Group
“To reach 1,000 deployments, including our first 5G sites, demonstrates our commitment to delivering unrivalled mobile connectivity to all four corners of the UK.”
EE says it uses “advanced network analytics” to work out specific locations most in need of a small cell.
They then use kit made by Nokia and Ericsson to make it a reality.
TOP TIP TO BOOST YOUR MOBILE COVERAGE
There are a number of ways to improve your mobile coverage at home, no matter what network you’re on.
One of the often forgotten ways is using Wi-Fi Calling.
Wi-Fi Calling routes your phone call over the internet instead of using mobile signals.
You don’t need an app to make it work, you can call people with their phone numbers as normal.
But it will still count towards your normal monthly call allowance like any ordinary phone call would.
On an iPhone, you can switch it on by going to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.
On Android, go to the Phone app then More > Settings > Calls > Wi-Fi Calling.
How does text-to-switch work?
TEXT-to-switch makes it quicker and easier to leave your mobile company by giving you control over how much contact you have with your existing provider.
This is how it works:
Text ‘PAC’ to 65075 – and keep your mobile number
- Text ‘PAC’ to 65075 to start the process
- The existing provider will text back within a minute and send the PAC number which will be valid for 30 days
- The provider’s reply must also include information about any early termination charges or pay-as-you-go balances
- The customer then gives the PAC number to their new provider
- The new provider must arrange for the switch to complete within one working day
Text ‘STAC’ to 75075 – and get a new mobile number
- Most people want to keep their number when they switch but one in six do not
- Text ‘STAC’ to 75075 to get a service termination authorisation code
- The rest of the process is the same as above
Text ‘INFO’ to 85075 – and find out more
- If you are unsure about whether you will have to pay early termination charges text ‘INFO’ to 85075
- You will only receive this information