-EE names Edinburgh as one of six cities chosen for phase one of 5G launch

-EE investing in 5G upgrades in 16 UK cities in 2019

-London, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester join Edinburgh as the busiest locations chosen for 5G launch across the UK

-5G Smartphones to be introduced alongside 5G Home router for 5G broadband

-EE also building next generation 5G core network, with virtualised network functions on a cloud native infrastructure

13 November 2018 – EE, the UK’s number one mobile network and part of BT Group, today announced that Edinburgh is among the six cities chosen for the first phase of its 5G launch. It joins the UK’s other capital cities – London, Cardiff and Belfast – as well as Birmingham and Manchester.

EE is switching on 5G sites in 16 UK cities in 2019, including Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol.

EE is building 5G in the UK’s busiest places, where the power of 5G technology can really make a difference by providing a more reliable data connection even in the biggest crowds.

EE will launch with multiple smartphone partners, as well as an EE 5G Home router with external antenna, to showcase the power of 5G for broadband.

The BT Technology team is virtualising elements of the core network for 5G rollout in 2019, and is building a next generation 5G core in line with the next stage of global 5G standards, with virtualised network functions on a cloud native infrastructure, creating the basis for a smart and fully converged agile network. The BT 21CN backbone network is Petabit-class, and will ensure the future-proofed scale required to enable a world-leading 5G experience.

Michael Matheson, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “I welcome today’s announcement from EE which will bring the latest mobile technology to Edinburgh and Glasgow and which will further enhance both cities’ credentials as places to live, visit and do business in.

“Commercial rollout of 5G by EE and the other mobile network operators supports our wider ambition of Scotland having an early advantage of this new and emerging technology. We know that demands for even more data will increase and this is why we have committed to developing a forward-looking strategy on 5G.

“We have recently awarded a contract for the Scottish 4G Infill Programme in which we will invest up to £25 million to deliver masts and 4G mobile services in selected mobile ‘notspots’ throughout Scotland.”

Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I welcome today’s announcement from EE. With the number of residents, businesses and visitors to the city growing all the time, we know that demands for data will continue to increase. This 5G rollout by EE will help meet this demand while ensuring Edinburgh remains one of the most connected cities in the UK.”

“With the number of residents, businesses and visitors to the city growing all the time, we know that demands for data will continue to increase. This 5G rollout by EE will help meet this demand while ensuring Edinburgh remains one of the most connected cities in the UK.”

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer division, said: “Our 5G trials are going well, giving us valuable insight into both the performance of the new technology and the challenges of upgrading sites with this new equipment. We’re confident that we can bring 5G to the busiest parts of Edinburgh and the UK in 2019. We’ll start with the busiest ‘hotspots’, meeting the greatest demand from our customers, and keep upgrading in more places from there.”