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Mobile operator EE (BT) has today announced that their 5G Standalone (5G+) based mobile (mobile broadband) network can now reach more than 80% of the UK’s population (up from 78% in Aug 2026). BT is also preparing to trial AI-RAN technology with Nokia and NVIDIA on EE’s live network, which could help to improve network efficiency.
Early 5G deployments were Non-Standalone (NSA), which meant they were partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure, while 5G+ networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better mobile broadband speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security etc.
The latest places to benefit from EE’s 5G+ roll-out include Bicester, Chester and Durham in England; Portrush and Strabane in Northern Ireland; Neath and Penarth in Wales; and Greenock, Alexandria and parts of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park in Scotland.