EE brings 4G to a dozen more UK towns

Mobile operator EE has confirmed the next crop of UK towns that can now access its superfast 4G network.

The company has confirmed its 4G reach stretches to 187 towns, having now switched on the network in 12 more today.

They include, Antrim, Coleraine, and Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland, as well as Bridgend and Pontypool in Wales, and Livingstone in Scotland.

Residents in the English towns of Burnley, Leigh, Macclesfield, Nuneaton, Sittingbourne and Tamworth can now use EE's 4G network as well.

Furthermore, EE also claims to have upgraded the connections spanning key routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Cardiff and Swansea, so commuters can continue to benefit from 4G while out and about.

Olaf Swantee, chief executive of EE, hailed the progress his firm is making with its 4G plans.

"Our 4G rollout is continuing at an industry-leading pace, reaching more and more people in places right across the UK," he said.

"We're connecting major towns to make sure that consumers, commuters and businesses have 4G where they live and where they work.

"As well as expanding our 4G network into new areas, our teams are switching on new 4G sites in our existing 4G cities and towns to make the EE network experience even better," he added.

The news comes hot on the heels of EE's announcement earlier this week that it's planning to launch its first own-brand 4G smartphone, which it claims will be the cheapest of its kind in the UK.

To coincide with this news, the firm also confirmed the launch of a slew of new entry-level 4G phone plans for business users and consumers.