EE is in a flamboyant mood and has upgraded its network at Wembley to provide a “5G-first” and cover the pitch for a summer season of music gigs.
Like a narcissistic singer reminding his/her fans about their past hits, EE points out that its 5G network already covers spectator stands at the national stadium and the new system extends coverage to the pitch, which is hosting over one million gig goers over the summer months.
Liam Boylan, Stadium Director, Wembley Stadium, states: “EE’s new system, which is capable of supporting multiple networks, offers the kind of reliability we need and we’re delighted to see this next step in our technology partnership.”
The duet sounds wonderful for EE, which is a brand within the BT Group.
EE points out that the stadium hosts a series of gigs from artists including Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Westlife and Coldplay. It sounds incredibly dull, but their popularity is not in doubt.
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The company has some stats to reveal that usage can be as large as a pop singer’s ego. June’s Capital FM Summertime Ball, which kicked off Wembley’s summer gigs, showed that EE users downloaded over 3,500 gigabytes and uploaded over 3,000 gigabytes of data.
Last year, EE set out an ambition to deliver 5G connectivity solutions “anywhere” in the UK by 2028, through a combination of permanent coverage and on demand solutions. The new system delivers 5G on 3.5GHz spectrum over 12 antennas around the stadium. It will also support multiple operators, with “other networks expected to join after the system completes testing.”
EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012 and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.
As Which? notes, in the UK there are four major mobile providers, all of whom are household names when it comes to mobile networks.
EE is the largest with around 32 million customers, O2 comes in next with 24 million customers, Vodafone sits third with 17.5 million customers, while Three – owned by a Hong Kong-based conglomerate – has approximately 9.9 million customers.
