How EE and Three are strengthening the UK’s digital foundations to boost the economy

Autumn 2022
Contents

Foreword How EE and Three are strengthening the UK’s digital foundations to boost the economy The crucial role of digital connectivity to the city of Wolverhampton Connected Care: How mobile connectivity can transform the delivery of adult social care Our site providers – valued and appreciated contributors to site safety MBNL’s aspirations for giving back to the communities we work with

How EE and Three are continuing to enhance the UK’s digital foundations and inclusion

EE and Three are continuing to invest significantly in network improvements and new rollouts to bring high quality mobile connectivity to more parts of the country. Investment in mobile network infrastructure is crucial to ensuring the UK has the digital foundations it needs for growing its economy and for raising digital inclusion to enable more people to share in the benefits of digital connectivity.

anywhere in the UK by 2028. EE’s 5G coverage has already reached over 50% of the UK’s population and it is working hard to bring enhanced 5G coverage to even more places. This includes bolstering 5G in the nation’s busiest spaces: tourist hotspots, stadiums, university campuses, and major festival events such as Glastonbury. At the same time, EE is expanding its 4G coverage and aims to reach over 90% of the UK within a few years. As part of this, it is delivering 4G in places that have never before been connected, by partnering with national Governments.

Three is making good progress on its 5-year network transformation programme with further enhancements made to its network coverage, capacity and speeds. The operator has also delivered 5G to over 50% of the UK’s population. Since the start of 2022, Three has rolled out 5G to many new areas including rural and coastal locations to cater to the surge in demand for mobile coverage and capacity during the summer holiday season. 4G and 5G signals across festival sites have also been boosted during the summer to keep festival goers connected. Furthermore, major upgrades are underway on its 4G network to deliver faster speeds in more locations, improving outdoor and indoor connectivity across the country.

EE and Three are also committed to deliver new sites and upgrades to extend rural coverage through the Shared Rural Network (SRN). Jointly funded and developed by the UK’s four mobile operators and Government, the Shared Rural Network will deliver reliable 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK. This will extend mobile coverage to an additional 280,000 premises and an additional 16,000km of the UK’s roads, boosting productivity and investment in rural areas.

Since the SRN was launched, EE has worked with the Scottish Government on their 4G Infill programme, delivering 4G services to parts of Scotland that have never received mobile coverage before. Meanwhile, Three is partnering with O2 and Vodafone to build and share new mobile masts to boost rural coverage across the UK, covering Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England.