EE to stage live 5G trials in East London later this year

UK mobile operator EE is due to launch what it claims will be the country’s first live 5G trial in East London in October.

The service provider said it will switch on 5G at 10 sites  in areas including City Road, Old Street, Hoxton Square and St Paul’s, connecting EE customers and businesses to 5G for the first time.

EE said it aims to be the first UK operator to launch 5G and will build the new mobile technology on top of its 4G network to offer high speed mobile data connections.

“This live trial is a big step forward in making the benefits of 5G a reality for our customers, and in making sure that the UK is at the front of the pack for 5G technology,” said Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer business.

“We’re focusing our resource and experience across EE and BT to ensure that we continue to lead the UK market with a mobile network that keeps giving our customers the best speeds and the best coverage. 5G is a fundamental part of our work to build a converged, smart network that keeps our customers connected to the things that matter most.”

UK Minister for digital, Margot James, added: “We want the UK to be a global leader in 5G as part of our ambition to create a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone. Together with the government’s own test beds and trials programme, industry initiatives like this will help deliver the benefits of this new revolutionary technology to businesses and consumers across the UK.”