EE was formed in March 2010 from the merger of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK, launching the UK's first 4G network in 2012 and first 5G in 2019. BT Group acquired EE for £12.5 billion in 2016. In 2026, EE scored 920/1,000 in the umlaut Best in Test — an all-time UK record and 11th consecutive win. 5G+ Standalone now covers 50+ million people across 600+ UK towns and cities.
EE Independent Results 2026
All figures from named third-party tests — not EE's own marketing.
- umlaut 2026: EE 920/1,000 — all-time UK record; 11th consecutive win
- RootMetrics H1 2025: 93.2/100 — 24th consecutive win; 127 of 128 awards
- Opensignal Jan 2026: 11 of 15 awards; Download 53.2 Mbps; Reliability 915/1,000
EE 5G+ Standalone Network
EE's 5G Standalone unlocks capabilities standard 5G cannot deliver.
- 50+ million people across 600+ UK towns (May 2026)
- Target: 99% UK population by March 2030
- ARC (Advanced RAN Coordination): world-first — 20% faster speeds
EE Plan Tiers — No Pricing
EE's multi-tier system — visit ee.co.uk for all pricing.
- No Frills: 10 Mbps speed cap
- Essentials: 100 Mbps cap; EU roaming NOT included
- All Rounder / Full Works: uncapped 5G+; EU free; BT WiFi
Apple One — World First
EE Full Works for iPhone includes Apple One — no other network globally offers this.
- Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+ 50GB included
- Included in Full Works for iPhone at no extra cost
- BT WiFi: 150,000+ hotspots (all TfL/Underground)
EE Roaming by Plan Tier
EU roaming depends on your plan tier.
- Essentials: EU NOT included — daily charge applies
- Essentials Plus and All Rounder: EU roaming free
- Full Works: EU free + Roam Abroad Pass (AU/CA/MX/NZ/US)
EE Price Rise Rights
Under Ofcom's January 2025 rule, EE must state rises in exact £/p at sign-up.
- Annual rises apply — exact amounts stated at sign-up
- EE applies increases on 31 March each year
- 30-day penalty-free exit if rise was not properly disclosed
EE eSIM
EE eSIM instant download on qualifying plans.
- Compatible: iPhone XS+, Samsung S20+, Google Pixel 3+
- Instant digital activation — no store visit
- All EE plans include 5G at no extra charge
BT WiFi — 150,000+ Hotspots
Free BT WiFi access for EE All Rounder and Full Works customers.
- 150,000+ encrypted BT WiFi hotspots across UK
- All London Underground and TfL stations covered
- No extra charge for qualifying EE customers