EE uses temporary sites to expand its network

EE is temporarily expanding its mobile network at major summer events to keep customers connected to the things they love most at the busiest time of year. More than 125 network upgrades are being installed on temporary 4G and 5G masts at venues across the country to complement existing permanent sites and increase network capacity to manage the huge surge in seasonal demand.

Customers and visitors from around the world will be able to enjoy better download speeds, more reliable coverage, and high-quality calling on the EE network at the UK’s biggest and best music festivals, sporting events, and local shows.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said: “For many people the summer is all about spending time making memories with family and friends. By expanding our network capacity with these temporary 4G and 5G sites, we are helping enhance the live event experience for our customers. Whether they want to FaceTime their parents from the Pyramid Stage or surf their social feeds at Boardmasters, they can count on EE to make it a summer to remember.”

Music to the ears of millions

More than 5 million people are expected to attend a UK music festival this summer, with more than 350,000 fans at the Isle of Wight Festival, Download, Parklife, and Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Scotland, already getting to experience the advantages of EE’s additional mobile infrastructure.

Visitors to Worthy Farm in Glastonbury this weekend will also be able to benefit from seven additional masts EE has placed around the 900-acre site, boosting the permanent 5G sites that serve the area all year round. Improving speeds and capacity in the most congested areas around one of the UK’s best loved festivals, EE’s network engineers are working hard to make sure that guests can seamlessly share iconic moments such as “Rocket Man” Elton John’s headline set.

Throughout the summer, temporary mobile masts are being installed at more music festivals across the UK, including:

• Latitude Festival (20th – 23rd July)
• Tartan Heart Festival (27th – 29th July)
• Camp Bestival (27th-30th July)
• Kendal Calling (27th – 30th July)
• Boomtown (9th -13th August)
• Creamfields North (24th – 27th August)
• Reading & Leeds Festival (25th – 27th August)

A need for speed

The summer would not be complete without an action-packed sporting calendar. Temporary masts are being deployed alongside EE’s permanent high-speed 4G and 5G mobile networks at iconic British sporting venues, including Silverstone, Cheltenham Racecourse, and Wembley Stadium.

This year will also see additional temporary installations at Royal Ascot, Boardmasters Festival, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and Goodwood Revival.

The demand for reliable, high-speed mobile connectivity at the UK’s major events continues to rise. Back in March, EE’s temporary masts at the Cheltenham Festival saw customers use more than 52 percent more mobile data compared to 2019. While at Eurovision in Liverpool this May, 4G and 5G sites were used by customers and international visitors to download more than 20TB of data in the days leading up to the grand finale, which is the equivalent of almost five million hours of music streaming.

EE will be monitoring the performance of its mobile network at every live event this summer and will continue to invest in additional temporary capacity to deliver the best possible experience for customers right across the UK.