EE launches home broadband over 4G LTE
EE has been conducting tests of a powerful 4G antenna that it claims can provide isolated rural homes with broadband speeds equivalent to full-fibre.
Mobile network operator (MNO) EE is to launch a residential broadband over 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service to address the connectivity needs of the most isolated rural homes, following successful trials of a powerful new 4G antenna and router in Cumbria.
The operator’s new 4GEE Home Router is an enhanced wireless router that uses a 4G Mobile signal to provide broadband services of up to 100Mbps, comparable to many fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) fixed solutions on the market today.
The router is connected by cable to a small 4G antenna fitted to the side of the customer’s property to minimise any signal loss due to exterior walls.
In this way, EE hopes to help around half a million homes gain access to ultrafast broadband connectivity in parts of the country that are still waiting to be addressed by the government-backed broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme, or where existing services are not good enough due to factors such as distance to the nearest fibre cabinet.