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Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has this morning announced that their latest 5G Standalone (5GSA) mobile network will, from the end of August 2025, be able to reach over half of the entire UK population (more than 34 million people) as more than 45 new UK locations go live. The figure is up from 40% coverage in March 2025.
The majority of 5G mobile networks today are still Non-Standalone (NSA), which means they are partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support for Voice over 5G SA (Vo5G) calling, and increased reliability and security etc.
In case anybody has forgotten, EE officially began launching a range of new 5G SA supporting mobile plans across 15 major UK cities in September 2024 (here) and they’ve since been expanding their coverage. Some of the latest locations to go live “in recent weeks” include Carlisle, Chesterfield, Hemel Hempstead, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gosport, Slough, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton Coldfield and York among others.
By the end of August 2025, customers in a further 38 locations will also benefit from 5GSA, including those in Aberdeen, Beverley, Blyth, Boston, Canterbury, Chippenham, Cleethorpes, Crawley, Derby, Exmouth, Great Malvern, Grimsby, Halifax, Harlow, Havant, Inverness, Ipswich, Leyland, Lichfield, Loughborough, Norwich, Paignton, Peterborough, Royal Leamington Spa, Salisbury, Shrewsbury, St Albans, St Neots, Sutton in Ashfield, Trowbridge, Wellingborough, Whitley Bay, Windsor, Winsford, Wishaw, Wokingham, Wrexham, Yeovil.
EE has previously informed ISPreview that they only announce 5GSA availability once a location has “at least 95% outdoor coverage“, so customers upgrading to the new technology know they will receive a “reliable and consistent experience“.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said:
“Whether you are video calling from a crowded train station, livestreaming on social media from a sold-out concert, or simply staying in touch with your family and friends over the summer holidays, 5G standalone on EE makes your experience smoother, faster and more secure.
Delivering a high-quality mobile experience every day for millions of people is what matters to us, it’s what has driven us to build the UK’s most reliable network and why we’re now delivering 5G standalone to more people in more places across the UK.”
EE also recently began to make their Voice over 5G Standalone (Vo5G) feature available to iOS and Android users in the UK with 5GSA-compatible devices and plans. Device compatibility is still a key issue for 5GSA adoption in general, although such things usually resolve themselves with time as consumers gradually upgrade.
The mobile operator added that their current “ambition is to make 5G standalone available to more than 41 million people by spring 2026“, which we’d equate to reflecting a population coverage of around 60%. But we do miss the time when EE would reference mobile coverage using geographic figures too.