When EE was first launched, its full title was Everything Everywhere—and its latest move seems to be aimed at living up to that name. The U.K. carrier has made a big announcement which positions it as a versatile and all-encompassing consumer brand. New EE will do a lot more than just sell you a cellphone.
First, there’s the broadband speeds which, from Friday October 20, will offer the fastest speeds ever seen in the U.K. at up to 1.6Gbps. Of course, you need access to full fiber in your street, which not all of the U.K.’s 32 million households have yet.
However, EE CEO Mark Allera said the rate of installation is increasing at a run rate of more than 3 million a year. Subscribers to this super-fast service, the price of which has yet to be announced, will also be able to add unlimited data SIM cards on 30-day subscriptions for $12 (£10) a month.
The company also announced its own new router, called the Smart Hub Plus which ensures wi-fi reaches every part of your home. There’s also something called Smart Hybrid Connect to make sure you’re always connected: if the landline connection goes offline, the system switches over to EE’s cellular network automatically.
Key to New EE is a platform which is open to “anyone and everyone – that will transform our customers’ experience beyond connectivity,” Allera said at the launch.
This works with an EE ID which offers access to a digital marketplace through a dedicated app and online, which will be open to everyone to access, whoever their internet provider is. EE is already a big seller of games consoles and now it will sell lots more electrical products. Gaming is a big part of the new offering, and that includes exclusive content, bundling of services, the option to spread payments and more. An EE Games Store open to everyone will follow.
The gaming commitment stretches as far as the broadband offering which will have settings for gaming or working from home, for instance. A WiFi Enhancer lets customers boost home connectivity, EE says, by prioritising online traffic accordingly in gaming or work mode.
Beyond this, the EE ID platform will over time add other products, such as security and insurance.
Customers of BT, part of the same company as EE and known for providing landlines and home broadband very widely, will be invited to move up to EE when they renew, though they will also be able to stay where they are if that’s what they prefer. EE will simply be the top-of-the-range offering.
Then there’s TV. EE has its own TV box for live programming from regular channels. There will be a new EE TV Box Pro in the coming months with streaming services accessible and a new EE remote.
This is a very big play from EE to take on much more of the stuff you do in your home, placing EE as a flagship brand in the U.K. and delivering an all-new EE ID that’s open to everyone.
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