EE was formed in 2010 from the merger of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK. EE launched the UK's first 4G on 30 October 2012 — 18 months ahead of competitors — and the UK's first 5G on 30 May 2019. BT Group acquired EE for £12.5 billion in 2016. In 2026, EE achieved a record-breaking 920/1000 in the umlaut Best in Test — 11 consecutive years as the UK's #1 rated mobile network. 5G+ Standalone now covers 50 million+ people across 610+ towns.
🏆 EE Performance — Independent Data
Third-party test data — not EE's marketing.
- umlaut 2026: 920/1000 — UK all-time record; 112 pts ahead of Vodafone (808)
- Opensignal Jan 2026: 77.4% 5G availability — UK's highest
- RootMetrics H1 2025: 730+ Mbps peak 5G — UK's fastest
- EE leads all categories: voice, speed, reliability, coverage
- 11 consecutive umlaut wins — unprecedented in UK
📊 EE Plan Tiers (2026)
Three-tier SIM system — choose based on speed, EU roaming, and extras.
- Essentials: 100 Mbps cap; EU £2.29/day; Apple taster
- All Rounder: uncapped 5G+; EU free (47 destinations); 1 Inclusive Extra
- Full Works: uncapped + worldwide roaming; wider Extras menu
- Full Works for iPhone: Apple One bundle included — world's first MNO
- BYOD plans: same network, lower price
🍎 Apple One Bundle — World First
EE Full Works for iPhone includes Apple One — no other MNO offers this globally.
- Apple Music: 70M+ songs; Apple TV+: award-winning originals
- Apple Arcade: 200+ games; iCloud+ 50GB
- Retail Apple One value: ~£28.96/month — included free
- Option to add to All Rounder for £5/month extra
- First announced August 2022; still unique globally
📶 BT WiFi — 150,000 Hotspots
All EE Pay Monthly customers get free BT WiFi access.
- Every London Underground station covered
- Auto-routes calls and data to WiFi when signal is weak
- No extra charge — included on all Pay Monthly plans
- Works after initial setup in device settings
- Essential for thick-walled buildings and basements
🌍 EE Roaming 2026
EE roaming is tier-dependent — free EU on All Rounder+.
- Essentials: £2.29/day in 47 European destinations
- All Rounder: EU roaming free (monthly data cap)
- Full Works: free EU + Roam Further Pass (Australia, Canada, NZ, USA)
- SIM Only voice plans: +£2.50/month each March
- 30-day exit window if rise was undisclosed at sign-up
💰 EE Annual Price Rise
Under Ofcom's Jan 2025 rule, EE states exact rise at sign-up.
- SIM Only voice: +£2.50/month each March
- Handset plans: +£1.50/month
- Data-only/smartwatch: +£0.75/month
- Legacy CPI+3.9% contracts: 7.3% rise in April 2026
- 30-day penalty-free exit if rise was undisclosed
📡 EE 5G+ Standalone
EE's pure 5G-native core network — UK's most advanced.
- Network slicing: dedicated bandwidth per app
- Voice over 5G: sub-10ms latency calls
- Better battery on compatible 5G devices
- 5G+ covers 50M+ people / 610+ UK towns
- Goal: 99% UK population coverage by Spring 2030
📱 EE eSIM & Compatibility
eSIM on all EE plans — no store visit needed.
- iPhone XS+; Samsung Galaxy S20+; Pixel 3+
- All EE plans include 5G at no extra charge
- Activate via QR code or EE app
- Dual eSIM on iPhone 13+ (two numbers, no physical SIM)
- Check compatibility at ee.co.uk/help/network
