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EE Accelerates 5G+ Rollout as ARC Upgrade Expands to More UK Cities

The move signals a push to boost capacity in crowded city centers.

Overview

  • EE says its 5G+ network now covers more than 50 million people across over 610 towns and cities, beating its spring 2026 goal.
  • ARC, already live on EE’s 5G+ in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, is set to reach Newcastle and other major cities next, with EE claiming about a 20% performance lift in busy areas without adding new masts.
  • Customers on pay‑monthly plans with supported phones receive the 5G+ upgrade at no extra cost, and five‑carrier aggregation on 5G+ sites is delivering about 10% faster average downloads.
  • EE reports a 54% jump in monthly 5G+ usage and says it has shifted 2.1GHz spectrum on more than 4,000 sites to add capacity and improve indoor coverage, with 5,000 more sites to follow.
  • 5G+ is EE’s standalone 5G that runs without leaning on 4G, ARC lets nearby masts share capacity in real time, and the company targets 99% population coverage by March 2030.