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5G Standalone is the next big mobile connectivity upgrade, and it’s one that EE is well on the way to bringing to the bulk of the UK, as following an initial launch in September of 2024, the network has announced that loads more towns and cities will get 5G Standalone by the end of March.
In total, by the end of this month 5G Standalone on EE will be available in 50 major towns and cities across the UK, bringing coverage to over 28 million people, which is more than 40% of the UK population.
EE hasn’t provided a full list of the new places set to get 5G Standalone, but has said that the new locations include Altrincham, Blackburn, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Corby, Cwmbran, Doncaster, Exeter, Huddersfield, Hyde, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Port Talbot, Rotherham, Sale, Sunderland, Wakefield, Walkden, and Wilmslow.
And these places should have fairly comprehensive coverage, as EE only announces 5G Standalone availability for a location once it has at least 95% outdoor coverage.
Available for everyone
On top of all this, EE has announced that it has now made 5G Standalone available to all new and upgrading customers taking any EE handset plan. Previously you needed an All Rounder or Full Works plan, so now this connectivity upgrade will be more widely available – though you will still need a compatible handset.
In any case, 5G Standalone is a worthwhile upgrade, as its removes legacy 4G infrastructure from the equation, allowing for higher speeds, lower latency, better efficiency, increased reliability, and new features like network slicing.
Malcolm Cubitt, Director of Mobile at EE, said: “5G standalone is giving many customers a better and more reliable mobile experience, especially in busy locations. As we rapidly expand our network footprint to cover more than 40 percent of the UK population, we are widening its accessibility so more people can benefit – especially those looking to harness the power of cutting-edge features on the newest smartphones.”
EE hasn’t listed every phone that supports its 5G Standalone service, but has said that “brands including Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, Nokia, TCL and Honor” now offer compatible handsets. So if you have a recent high-end handset from one of these brands, there’s a good chance it will be supported.
EE isn’t alone in rolling out 5G Standalone though, so you needn’t miss out if you’re on another network. Vodafone and O2 also offer 5G Standalone in select locations, and we expect Three will start offering it sooner or later too.
