EE

EE (originally Everything Everywhere) is the United Kingdom's largest mobile network operator by retail subscriber count. The company was formed in April 2010 as a 50/50 joint venture between France Télécom (Orange UK) and Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile UK), combining the two networks into a single national operator. In January 2016, BT Group plc acquired EE outright for approximately GBP 12.5 billion, and EE has been a wholly owned BT Group subsidiary ever since. EE is headquartered in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and operates under the EE brand for both consumer mobile and consumer broadband.

EE switched on the UK's first commercial 4G network in October 2012, and launched the first UK 5G network in May 2019. The network today carries the highest share of UK mobile traffic and is the only UK operator to win the Opensignal Mobile Network Experience Award for overall reliability, 5G download speed and consistent quality in successive reports.

EE positions itself as the UK's premium mobile brand. Plans bundle benefits including a free Apple TV+ subscription on eligible tariffs, free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots, Roaming-Free zones covering 49+ destinations in Europe, and the EE One household discount when combined with BT broadband. EE also runs the UK's emergency services network (ESN) under a contract with the Home Office.

The UK has four mobile network operators today: EE, Vodafone UK, O2 (Virgin Media O2) and, following the 2024 merger, VodafoneThree — the combined Vodafone-Three entity cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority in December 2024.

EE vs Vodafone. Both operators run their own networks and both have wide 5G footprints. EE leads in Opensignal 5G download speed and reliability nationally, while Vodafone leads in some Opensignal 5G availability metrics, particularly in cities where its standalone 5G has been switched on. Vodafone tends to undercut EE on entry-level SIM-only pricing.

EE vs O2 (Virgin Media O2). O2 typically wins on price for entry tariffs and bundles benefits via the O2 Priority app (presale tickets, weekly freebies). EE wins on raw network metrics and on premium perks (Apple TV+, BT broadband bundles). O2's 5G rollout has been slower than EE's.

EE vs Three (now VodafoneThree). Three historically offered the most generous data allowances and the cheapest unlimited tariffs, particularly via its SMARTY MVNO. Following the merger, Three's legacy network is being consolidated with Vodafone's. EE retains a clear lead on Opensignal consistent-quality scores against both legacy Three and the merged entity.

For users prioritising raw network quality and bundled streaming perks, EE is the benchmark. For users prioritising sub-GBP 10 monthly SIMs, the cheaper MVNOs hosted on EE (especially 1pMobile) deliver the same network at a fraction of the price — without the Apple TV+ perk.