BT Wholesale has announced it is making EE connectivity available to partners on a direct, wholesale basis through EE mobile SIM.
Due to be launched in early 2023 upon the completion of trials, members of BT Wholesale’s Partner Plus programme will be able to sell EE SIMs and provide customers with 4G and 5G connectivity.
In an announcement, the firm said the move will boost resellers’ ability to support end users’ evolving all-IP requirements and go-to-market strategies. It also supports the move away from legacy voice setups and helps prepare businesses for the upcoming PSTN switch-off coming in 2025.
“We are constantly striving to make ourselves easier to do business with, and critical to that is ensuring we are delivering what partners want,” said Gavin Jones, channel partners director at BT Wholesale. “For many, that was EE mobile. Enabling resellers to sell EE mobile SIMs is the latest proof point demonstrating our commitment to helping our partners thrive.”
The upcoming PSTN switch-off has accelerated the need for businesses and individuals to move away from legacy setups. Scheduled for 2025, the event will see the UK’s traditional telephone network shut down, with traditional telephony products removed from shelves. Every phone line in the country, whether personal or business setups, will then be IP-based.
As businesses move away from these legacy voice services, Jones said the company’s aim is to provide partners with “complete convergence” across fibre, cloud voice, and mobile.
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“The EE mobile SIM is another way to deliver unparalleled access however partners need it,” he continued. “Ultimately, this backs resellers to maximise relationships as customers take more control of their digital destiny.”
EE was the first network provider to launch 5G in the UK and now claims that over 50% of the UK population can use its 5G services. The company said it is now aiming to expand coverage to 90% of the UK landmass with 5G by 2028, complete with requestable, on-demand solutions.
“Making EE SIMs available via a wholesale model means partners can offer customers the might of the UK’s best mobile and biggest fixed broadband networks,” said Jones.
“The pandemic taught the channel that we need to be more flexible in our approach, and that’s reflected in our launches. We provide our partners with flexibility and choice so they can pass that through to their customers as they accelerate their own digital journeys.”
The move is the latest in a string of channel developments for BT Wholesale. Last year, the company launched WHC Express, a cloud-based telephony system for businesses with ten or fewer employees to help them make and receive calls across fixed and mobile devices.
It also unveiled Broadband One, its end-to-end managed service that enables partners to provide small businesses with connections of up to 1Gps across both FTTP and SoGEA.
