How EE Will Power This Year's Biggest UK Events with 5G+

As Britain's festival season gets underway, mobile networks are preparing for their busiest months of the year.

Summer crowds bring big business for event organisers, and big data demands for telco operators.

For festivalgoers, an action as simple as sending a text or uploading a video, to tracking down friends in a crowd of tens of thousands, can be just as challenging as finding the main stage.

Those moments have become the telco proving ground for network performance.

EE is betting heavily on that reality this summer, expanding its 5G+ network to more than 25 major events across the UK while extending coverage to dozens of towns and tourist destinations ahead of the busy holiday season.

The company says festivalgoers, sports fans and local businesses will benefit from faster speeds, improved reliability and fewer connectivity issues as demand for mobile data rises.

The move places network performance at the heart of EE's strategy as operators compete on experience rather than coverage alone.

Among the events receiving 5G+ support are BST Hyde Park, Reading and Leeds Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Creamfields, Download Festival and the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone. EE is also preparing connectivity for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

EE aims to improve network performance using temporary mobile sites, as thousands of attendees simultaneously stream video, making calls, sharing content and using digital services.

Festivals as big telco proving grounds

Large-scale events can form important demonstrations of network capability as consumer expectations around mobile connectivity continue to rise.

Organisers rely on event apps and cashless payments, while attendees expect uninterrupted access to social media, messaging and video services.

EE says the technology has been designed to deliver stronger connections, faster download and upload speeds and more reliable video calling in densely populated locations where networks usually come under pressure.

The company is also extending 5G+ beyond temporary event sites. Permanent upgrades have been delivered to locations including the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, while regional events such as the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in Scotland and the Devon County Show will also benefit from enhanced connectivity.

Expanding coverage across the UK

Alongside its event-focused rollout, EE has expanded 5G+ coverage across more than 30 towns and communities.

The latest locations include coastal destinations such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Torquay and Weston-super-Mare, alongside market towns and regional centres including Winchester, Stroud, Falkirk, Motherwell and Lisburn.

The expansion comes as demand for the service continues to grow. EE reports that customer usage of 5G+ increased by more than 11% between March and April.

EE says its 5G+ services are now available to 75% of the UK population, covering more than 44 million people in England, 3.3 million in Scotland, 2.1 million in Wales and nearly one million in Northern Ireland.

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT, which provides connectivity for EE, BT and Plusnet customers, says: "The summer has arrived and as our town centres and tourist hotspots get busier, staying connected with fast, secure and reliable mobile coverage has never been more important.

"5G+ on EE has been designed to deliver exactly that, so whether you're video-calling your friends from a packed festival crowd or just keeping in touch with your family while you're shopping in the high street, switching to 5G+ means you can benefit from a more dependable connection."

New network technology boosts capacity

The rollout also highlights the growing importance of network optimisation technologies as operators seek to increase performance without significantly expanding physical infrastructure.

As part of BT's wider £40bn network investment programme, EE is deploying Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC), a technology that enables nearby mobile sites to dynamically share capacity in real time.

The technology has already gone live in London, Manchester and Edinburgh and is now being expanded into Liverpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle and Leeds.

EE says ARC can improve download performance by up to 20% without requiring additional mobile masts. While all EE 5G customers can benefit from the technology, those using 5G+ are expected to see the greatest performance gains.

Greg McCall adds: "We continue to build on our commitment to give customers access to the most reliable connectivity on the UK's best mobile network.

"By investing in these latest 5G+ upgrades, we're ensuring we're on track to deliver our ambition to bring the UK's highest quality 5G+ connectivity to 99% of the population by the end of March 2030."

The latest rollout coincides with a new nationwide advertising campaign from EE focused on demonstrating the practical advantages of higher-capacity mobile connectivity in everyday situations, from securing event tickets to navigating busy commutes.