EE to switch on 4G network on 30 October

Mobile operator EE (Everything Everywhere) has confirmed that its 4G services will be switched on in the UK on Tuesday 30 October.

The firm, which owns T-Mobile and Orange, will be the first mobile operator in the UK to be in a position to offer 4G services to its customers, and has already set out plans to roll them out to 16 cities by the end of 2012.

In a statement, Olaf Swantee, chief executive of EE, said: "This is a significant milestone for the United Kingdom, and for the people and businesses of our country who will now be able to enjoy the huge advantages of superfast 4G technology for the first time."

The firm was recently granted permission by regulator Ofcom to reuse its spectrum to offer 4G, giving the operator a considerable head start on its rivals.

As reported by IT Pro earlier today, Ofcom has confirmed that end users should be able to choose between a wider range of 4G providers from next spring, once the 800MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum auction takes place.

Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.