Superfast take-up for EE's 4G service
Growing appetite for superfast mobile phone internet helped EE to its strongest rise yet in new customers for its 4G network in the first quarter of the new year, the company said today.
The company added 889,000 customers using 4G, giving it a total of 2.9 million users for the new superfast network, with companies such as Fujitsu, Europcar and NEC using the faster speeds.
It leaves the company on track to have six million 4G customers by the end of the year. It has been helped by a high-profile TV advertising campaign featuring Hollywood star Kevin Bacon.
The company's 4G already covers Telford and the majority of the Black Country, but Shrewsbury and the rest of Shropshire is still lagging behind with the slower 3G service, and in some more rural areas such as Clun it only has a calls and text service.
The latest increase in customers helped the mobile phone network provider to a 0.8 per cent rise in operating revenue, although including the impact of regulatory measures the figure fell by 1.7% to £1.49 billion.
Chief financial officer Neal Milsom said: "We are delivering strong, consistent commercial performance and continue to successfully create value through our award winning network."
The 4G service now reaches 72% of the UK population – 46m people – covering 200 towns and cities.
EE added 214,000 postpaid customers, meaning 59% of customers are on postpaid plans, generating of six times higher revenue than prepaid customers.
