EE network review (2015): everything you need to know

EE is technically the UK’s youngest network, having only been formed of the merger between Orange UK and T-Mobile UK in 2010. First the company was called Everything Everywhere and in August 2012, the company announced that the EE brand would offer 4G in the UK, with Everything Everywhere becoming the legal entity and parent company of all three brands.

Since then, the network bought LTE to the market nearly a year before its rivals – although regulator Ofcom certainly had a hand to play in it, launched its own TV and Broadband services, and has one of the best networks in the UK. It also has an exclusive partnership with the Football Association to make the national stadium, Wembley Stadium, the most connected stadium in the world.

What makes the UK’s largest network tick and what does the future hold for the youngest-yet-largest operator in the UK?

Network technology

EE’s network currently uses the following frequencies:

Alongside the large allocation of spectrum owned by Orange and T-Mobile before the merger, EE spent the second largest amount in the spectrum auction and has the second largest overall spectrum allocation in the UK.

4G LTE

Along with the spectrum it owned and acquired, EE was granted permission to repurpose its existing 1800MHz spectrum for LTE use, which meant it bought out the UK’s first 4G network in October 2012, almost a year ahead of its rivals who launched at the end of August the following year.

 Initially launching in 11 cities, the network took just two years to roll out 4G coverage for over 75 percent of the UK population. After reaching 75 percent, the network set about improving its network by launching the UK’s first “double-speed” LTE-Advanced network in London, offering theoretical download speeds of up to 300Mbps on the go; actual speeds top out at around 160Mbps but this is still faster than the UK’s fastest broadband.

The introduction and rollout of LTE-Advanced to 50 percent of the UK population also added additional capacity that could be used by all LTE users, meaning average EE speeds have increased over the past two years (but network congestion can still be an issue).

4G speeds are certainly impressive and coverage is mostly good – although there are still areas where coverage is almost non-existent – and the national roaming laws passed in December last year will mean 90% of the UK (EE users included) will have access to calls, texts and data by 2017.

While the network is impressive, what’s the rest of EE like? Let’s take a look.

Pay Monthly Handsets

EE’s Pay Monthly (PAYM) plans are split up across two different tiers; 4GEE Extra offers double-speed 4G and roaming benefits while 4GEE offers standard speed LTE without inclusive roaming benefits.

When it first launched, 4GEE Extra cost an average of £5 per month more than the standard plan but EE’s currently has different plans for the two tiers. Data on 4GEE plans is limited to a maximum of 5GB while 4GEE Extra offer 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 10GB, 20GB or 50GB data each month.

The other inclusive perk to 4GEE Extra plans is inclusive roaming while abroad in the EU, cheaper data when roaming abroad and a wider range of add-ons to prevent bill shock. The roaming allows you to be travelling among a selection of European countries and be able to call or send texts back to the UK or any other eligible country.

The perk is fantastic, especially when you consider it lets you go abroad to the Spain and then call any number in approx. 30 countries free of charge without limits. This is absolutely fantastic but data on the other hand can be pricey, starting at £3 per day for 50MB data and rising up to £25 for 500MB data which lasts up to 30 days.

Overall, EE’s PAYM packages offer 4G LTE from as little as £14.99 per month and with 4GEE Extra plans available starting at £19.99 and rising up to £74.99 per month, there is a plan and allowance package to suit everyone. The actual cost of each plan depends on the handset you choose and there are a range of plans available at a low price that offer good phones and a healthy inclusive allowance.

Pay Monthly SIM Only

While most consumers buy their phone as part of a pay monthly contract, some users still prefer to buy phones outright or use an existing phone and just get a PAYM SIM. For these customers, networks offer SIM Only (SIMO) plans and the market has become increasingly competitive over the past eighteen months.

EE offers 4G SIMO plans with up to 10GB data each month and the same plans are available with either 30-day rolling commitment or a minimum 12-month commitment. The latter saves you £3 per month but you’re tied in for a year and although EE currently let you upgrade to a handset at any point during the 12-month period, you won’t be able to leave the network until you’ve completed the 12-month period.

Here are EE PAYM SIMO packages:

Pay as You Go Plans

Like many networks, EE divides its PAYG offering into packs, offering a combination of minutes, texts and data for different purposes. Packs last a week or a month and EE’s retention offer means the longer you stay, the better it gets; every three months, you can add more minutes, texts or data at no extra cost.

Here’s EE’s PAYG packs:

EE PAYG plans offer up to 4GB 4G data and up to 1000 inclusive minutes each month and are perfect for the casual user or those who are unable to get a pay monthly contract.

EE Perks

All UK networks offer perks to existing customers above and beyond inclusive allowances, and EE is no different, but this is the one area where it is arguably the weakest. Prior to February 2015, EE offered 2 for 1 cinema tickets every Wednesday as part of Orange Wednesdays and this was a big reason customers signed up to Orange and then EE.

A few weeks after Orange Wednesdays ended, EE unveiled EE Film Club: a partnership with online TV and film service Wuaki.tv, the club lets you rent a movie or TV show from Wuaki.tv’s impressive portfolio for just £1. EE claim that it is more in keeping with the digital age we find ourselves in and while some may argue that Orange Wednesdays offers better value for money, the replacement is certainly wholesome.

Other notable perks of being an EE customer include priority access to buy tickets for events at venues across the UK ahead of general launch, exclusive benefits at Wembley Stadium and free Wi-Fi access while travelling on London Underground. These benefits are available to both PAYM and PAYG customers, making EE an attractive proposition for non-contract users.

Quad Play

The rise in demand for mobile services has also meant mobile operators encroaching on traditional household services such as TV, Broadband and Landline telephones (does anyone even use a landline anymore? Do you? Let us know down below).

EE currently offers three broadband packages; Standard, which offers up to 17Mbps, Fibre, which offers up to 38Mbps and Fibre Plus, which offers up to 76Mbps. Let’s take a look at how they compare (all plans subject to line rental from £13.75 per month):

EE also offers EE TV, a household TV freeview service that has a really unique feature; it lets you use both the TV box and your phone or tablet to watch TV or your recordings in any room in the house.

EE TV lets you watch up to four different programmes at the same time across your TV and compatible devices and use your tablet or phone as an enhanced remote to control your TV box. It also lets you seamlessly move something you’re watching on your tablet or phone to your TV with just a flick of your finger.

Let’s take a look at how much EE TV costs:

UK Outlook: Who’s Buying Who?

The UK telecommunications has undergone a few changes over the past decade but the latest range of changes promises to alter the landscape forever.

Image Via: marketingweek.com

Late last year, BT announced it was in exclusive discussions to buy full control of EE from its parent companies – Deutsche Telekom and Orange S.A., the parents of T-Mobile and Orange – for the princely sum of £12.5 billion. Earlier this year, the two companies announced plans to go ahead with the deal and although it’s subject to approvals, it’s likely to complete within the next 12 months.

When the deal completes, all of EE’s services are likely to be amalgamated into BT’s offerings; although hypothetical at this stage, it’s likely that EE’s phone network will become part of BT Mobile, its TV service into BT Vision and EE broadband/telephone into BT Broadband.

Whether that will mean customers get additional discounts and benefits is unknown but we’re likely to hear more once the deal goes ahead and we’ll let you know when we hear more.

Final thoughts

EE’s network has certainly undergone great transformations since its infancy and despite being less than five years old, they’ve become the biggest and a source of frustration for its rivals. Sure, the regulator has played a crucial role in the network’s growth – by allowing it to repurpose existing spectrum and launch 4G ten months before it was physically possible for its rivals to do so – but the growth of the company has been down to focusing on LTE.

My personal number is on EE and while I’ve had my own fair share of problems over the past few years, I would still recommend the network. At one point, the network offered horrendous customer services with call centres abroad not offering the level of service desired by customers but I’ve personally noticed that most, if not all, of my calls to customer services are now answered by UK-based call centres.

As a network, it’s difficult not to recommend the best network in the UK and while no network is perfect in all places and in every way, EE certainly do a good job. If you’re based in the UK – or travelling to the UK on holiday and need a SIM – EE will certainly do the job for you.

What do you think of EE’s network? Let us know in the comments below and if you are or have been an EE customer, vote in our poll below to tell everyone what you think of the UK’s biggest network. Don’t forget to join us on Thursday where we take a look at a pioneer of the telecoms industry and the UK arm of the world’s largest network by revenue, Vodafone.

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Europe to scrap roaming charges, protect net neutrality

It’s been a long time coming, but we finally know when roaming charges will be scrapped in Europe: June 15th, 2017. The European Commission had been pushing for an earlier implementation, but ultimately relented in order to win support from the European Parliament and Council. Under the new rules, Europeans will pay the same prices as they do at home, regardless of where they travel in the EU. However, such a move could be open to abuse — after all, anyone could buy a cheaper SIM from a neighboring country and use it at home — so there will be a fair use limit when roaming, after which networks can charge you a basic fee. While we wait for 2017 to roll around, Europe is prepping a stop-gap measure for next year. From April 2016, operators will be limited to the following maximum roaming charges: €0.20 per MB, €0.06 per SMS and €0.05 per minute — the same rates that former EU Commission VP Neelie Kroes wanted to enforce last year.

Europe has also agreed upon new, stricter net neutrality rules. From April 30th, 2016, internet service providers will be banned from blocking or throttling any online content, apps and services. In addition, so-called “fast lanes” will be outlawed. However, there is one exception: the EU will allow providers to ring-fence parts of their networks for self-developed “innovative services.” It’s only under the condition that such efforts don’t affect people’s access to the rest of the internet, however. The EU says it’ll be different from fast lanes, although any two-tier system is likely to unnerve open internet advocates.

Now, we just have to wait for the dates to roll around. The European Commission’s next step is to finalise the new laws in writing and get them signed off by the European Parliament and Council. They’ll then be translated into all EU languages, setting in motion the long-awaited move towards a fabled “digital single market” across Europe.

[Image Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo]

Filed under: Wireless, Internet

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Source: European Commission