Telecom Lead Europe: The 4G LTE service provider EE has launched the fourth generation mobile broadband services in Northern Fells, Cumbria – one of the U.K.’s most rural areas – for the first time.
With 27 million mobile customers, EE’s 4G targets both homes and businesses across much of the Northern Fells.
Currently, EE delivers benefits of 4G internet access to area covering almost 100 square miles and more than 2,000 residents in the UK’s highest concentration of home workers.
Olaf Swantee, chief executive officer, EE, said: “Using our dedication to innovation and engineering excellence, we are overcoming the challenges of delivering rural connectivity to launch a 4G mobile broadband service in Cumbria.”
EE’s 4G is available in 37 U.K. towns and cities today and target is to cover 98 percent of the U.K. population by the end of 2014.
Rural wireless broadband services set to deliver average upload and download speeds between 8-12Mb, and headline speeds over 20Mb.
The Northern Fells remains un-served by fiber or other superfast fixed technology.
EE’s 4G consumer and business mobile broadband plans are available at £15.99 per month.
As part of EE’s plans to cover U.K.’s most rural environments, the 4G service will cover 84 percent of the population across the Northern Fells by summer 2013.
John Grainger, managing director at Invest in Cumbria, said: “For many years we have lobbied companies and governments to bridge the digital divide to connect Cumbria, yet a lack of investment and commitment from service providers has for left us technologically isolated.”
