Download speeds of 40Mbps or more enabled by new 2x20MHz LTE network
As promised, network operator EE has launched "double speed" 4G LTE in some twelve British cities today. The new, faster speeds are enabled by allocating more of EE's spectrum to its LTE network — it's now using 2x20MHz of 1800MHz spectrum instead of 2x10MHz. This brings theoretical transfer rates of up to 150Mbps, with real world speeds averaging around 30-40Mbps. In practice we've seen download speeds regularly hit 40-50Mbps in London and Manchester, with throughput reaching highs of 78-79Mbps in some areas.
The new "double speed" 4G is available today in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield, with Derby and Nottingham being two last-minute additions to the list.
If you're on EE in any of these cities, be sure to run a speed test or two and let us know if you're seeing faster transfer rates.
