EE announces 'double speed 4G' in 12 major UK cities, new shared and pay as you go plans

On Wednesday, UK mobile operator EE (formerly known as Everything Everywhere) announced that, tomorrow, it will enable faster 4G cellular connectivity in twelve major local cities, with theoretical download speeds topping 150 Mbps.

The UK cities are Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. EE says that, in practice, users should see "double the current average speeds to 24 - 30 Mbps". The UK mobile operator claims that this should make its 4G network "unequalled" on the old continent, "faster than mobile networks in the US and Japan, and equal to the best in South Korea".

The improved speeds will be available at no additional cost for all existing 4GEE subscribers. The UK mobile operator also announced new shared 4GEE plans, that are set to launch on July 17, which target consumers as well as businesses.

Users will be able to share allocated data, text and voice on a maximum of five devices. Prices range between £6 to £26 per month for each added handset or slate (phones are less costly than tablets).

The UK mobile operator also revealed upcoming pay as you go (PAYG) 4GEE plans, which start at £15 for a data SIM with 2 GB of preloaded mobile traffic (available for 30 days). With the same cellular data allowance, EE customers can also get an Alcatel L800 modem which runs for £50 or Alcatel Y800 Mobile Wi-Fi that goes for £70. Extra traffic is available from £3 (for 500 MB) to £30 (for 10 GB).

EE was the first mobile operator to roll out its 4G LTE network in the UK, ahead of rival carriers like O2 and Vodafone. The new cellular services were deployed in mid-October, last year, but not without criticism from other local mobile operators, which deemed EE's awarded license as unfair.

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