EE has launched a range of full fibre broadband packages using Openreach’s rapidly expanding full-fibre network. Most of the prices are mirroring their existing FTTC and G.fast based plans, with the exception of the top 900Mbps+ package.
The news is no surprise given EE product launches tend to be just a few steps behind their parent BT.
With traditional fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) fibre, the fibre optic cable only goes as far as your local green cabinet. The rest of the connection from the cabinet to your home uses old and much slower copper phone lines. With full fibre, or fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), the fibre optic cable goes all the way into your home. No copper cable. No sharing with your neighbours. Just lightning fast speeds.
EE FTTP Availability
EE uses the Openreach network for their full fibre (FTTP) service which currently covers around 3 million premises, or 11% of the UK, with aims to reach 4.5 million by March 2021.
The latest Ofcom data suggests 14% of the UK now has access to full fibre broadband speeds, around 4.2 million homes, but that includes providers like Virgin Media, who have been busy with the expansion of their own full fibre network, switching on services in Edinburgh and Liverpool in July and then in Glasgow, Leeds and Bradford in August.
EE FTTP packages
EE's full fibre customers can choose from five different packages:
- Fibre - average speeds of 38Mb
- Fibre Plus - average speeds of 67Mb
- Fibre Max 145 - average speeds of 145Mb
- Fibre Max 300 - average speeds of 300Mb
- Full Fibre Max 900 - average speeds of 900Mb
Contracts last for 18 months and have unlimited usage. There is also a £25 one-off activation fee.
EE mobile customer benefits
Existing EE Pay Monthly mobile customers get a 10% discount on the 145Mb and 300Mb Fibre Max packages, but not the 900Mb packages. You’ll also get a mobile data boost of up to 20GB, giving you extra data on your EE mobile plan.
No landline
EE new FTTP plans do not come with a landline as full fibre doesn’t use the copper phone network. This means you’ll lose your home phone number when moving to the service, and won't be able to get it back even if you change your plan to one that does include a landline in the future.
Whilst many may welcome this as users rely more heavily on their mobile phones, it could inconvenience customers who do use a landline. If a landline is essential to you, then EE's FTTC plans still have the option to include this from £8 per month.