The number is not only testament to the success of the network but also to the growth in the smartphone market. Nearly all models sold today are 4G and it is clear that consumers are eager to buy these phones and the applicable contracts to go with them.
Trusted Reviews writes that EE confirmed the news today. Company CEO Olaf Swantee said “EE pioneered 4G in the UK and we’re determined to keep the country at the forefront of innovation.”
EE anticipates that mobile data usage is going to triple in the next three years. It expects to transfer an exabyte of data during 2018, 16 times more than its 3G infrastructure handled in 2012.
EE launched in the autumn of 2012 as the first 4G LTE operator in the UK. Buying existing networks T-Mobile and Orange and integrating them into the company, EE managed to break records within months of its launch as 1 million customers flocked to its 4G service in just 10 months.
Gizmodo notes that 10 million customers is equal to the entire population of the greater Metropolitan area of London using EE’s services for their mobile network, with an additional three million on top.
The company’s headstart in offering 4G in the UK has made it popular with consumers and difficult to dislodge for major rivals Vodafone, Three and O2. Its promise of a free portable charger for all of its users in recent months has also boosted its reputation with many as millions hurried to claim their “Power Bar” in just a few days.
EE itself was sold to BT for £12.5 billion in February. Today’s news is likely to add fuel to the claims of some analysts that EE’s immense market share could enable BT to dominate the other UK mobile operators. Rivals have also been reorganising in recent months as O2 was sold by Telefonica to Three for £10 billion in March.
