EE’s 5G+ mobile network reaches over 80 percent of UK and trials AI-RAN

Mobile operator EE (BT) has today announced that their 5G Standalone (5G+) based mobile (mobile broadband) network can now reach more than 80% of the UK’s population (up from 78% in Aug 2026). BT is also preparing to trial AI-RAN technology with Nokia and NVIDIA on EE’s live network, which could help to improve network efficiency.

Early 5G deployments were Non-Standalone (NSA), which meant they were partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure, while 5G+ networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better mobile broadband speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security etc.

The latest places to benefit from EE’s 5G+ roll-out include Bicester, Chester and Durham in England; Portrush and Strabane in Northern Ireland; Neath and Penarth in Wales; and Greenock, Alexandria and parts of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park in Scotland.

The announcement also reveals that BT are looking to harness more Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in order to improve EE’s mobile network, which could make it more efficient, faster and further improve reliability (i.e. allowing the network to respond more intelligently as customer demand changes).

As part of that BT revealed that they’re working with NVIDIA and Nokia to bring their first AI-RAN (Radio Access Network) sites online in Birmingham during 2027, moving the technology from laboratory testing to its live EE network. The use of AI tech is also expected to play a big role in future 6G deployments from around 2030 onwards.

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, said:

“We’re seeing real momentum behind 5G+ as we progress towards our goal of 99% population coverage by 2030 – both in the pace of our rollout and in the amount of data customers are now using over the network. But reaching more people is only part of the story. We’re continuing to invest in making the network smarter and more responsive too, exploring technologies such as AI-RAN that could help us stay ahead of growing demand and deliver an even better experience for customers.”

Finally, BT said they’re also increasing the capacity behind EE’s mobile network so that customers can continue to enjoy fast, reliable connectivity as data use grows (rival mobile operators are also doing the same). This includes recently setting a new benchmark for Microwave link capacity, successfully delivering its first 2.8Gbps microwave link, 40% more capacity than its previous 2Gbps benchmark (distance isn’t mentioned).

Microwave links play an important role in connecting mobile sites into the wider network, particularly where fibre optic lines may not be viable (e.g. certain remote rural or semi-rural locations).