EE rolls out 4G services to 12 more towns and cities

Mobile operator EE is bringing its 4G services to 12 more towns and cities across the UK, as it continues to make the most of its head start in the superfast network stakes.

The firm now offers access to 4G in 74 UK towns and cities, with Ashton-under-Lyne, Chatham, Gillingham, High Wycombe, Merthyr Tydfil, Oldham, Oxford, Rochester, Runcorn, Sale, Stafford and Wigan the latest to be added.

Olaf Swantee, chief executive of EE, said the pace of the rollout has put the firm at the "forefront" of the UK's mobile market.

"Just seven months after launch, we've covered millions of consumers and businesses with one of the fastest mobile networks in the world."

EE was granted permission by regulator Ofcom to reuse its 1800 MHz spectrum allocation to provide 4G services across the UK back in August 2012.

The decision has given EE a significant head start on its competitors, as many of them were unable to launch their own superfast services until the outcome of the Ofcom 4G spectrum auction was announced in February.

That's not to say it's been all plain sailing for EE, as the firm's 4G pricing and data allowances were widely criticised in the past, forcing it to cut the price of some of its services.

Despite that, the company recently reported that 318,000 customers have signed up to use its 4G service since its launch in September 2012.

The company also announced the release of its new 30-day SIM only 4G pricing plans yesterday, which will allow users to essentially trial the service before committing to an extended contract.

Pricing starts from 23, which will provide users with 500MB of data, while the most expensive plan will set them back by 63 for 20GB of data.