British mobile operators EE and Three are joining forces to improve their respective rollout of 4G superfast mobile broadband across the UK.
The network sharing deal between the two companies will see them invest a further £1bn in their telecoms infrastructure.
Three was already involved in a cost-sharing initiative with T-Mobile before and during its merger with Orange, which saw the emergence of EE in 2010. This agreement will see the continuation of the partnership between the nation’s largest and smallest network providers.
EE has already upgraded large parts of its 4G network using its own money, but the costs will now be shared with Three, which plans to inject a further £500m in to network investment in the next three years. The deal marks the beginning of Three’s main 4G investment, whereas EE is further along in its respective plans.
EE will offer 4G services to approximately 70 per cent of the UK this month, while Three wants to reach 50 cities by the end of 2014 and 98 per cent coverage by the end of 2015. All users of Three will be transferred to a 4G contract by the end of the quarter, even if they do not live in areas yet covered by superfast mobile broadband.
Source: Financial Times