Virgin Media Business teams with EE to bring 4G to the enterprise

Virgin Media Business has teamed up with mobile operator EE to launch an enterprise-only 4G network, which reportedly covers 60 per cent of the UK.

The company said the technology tie-up should make managing corporate mobile communications easier, as existing customers will only need to deal with a single supplier to get both fixed line and mobile services.

This in turn, the company claims, will save users time, money and reduce complexity.

Business users that opt for the service will also be offered access to EE's 3G and 2G networks, which should cover any connectivity shortfalls as the mobile operator continues rolling out 4G across the UK.

IT Pro contacted Virgin Media Business for further details about the pricing of its 4G business tariffs, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

However, the company has revealed that business managers will be able to monitor usage costs through the use of an online portal, and log support queries.

The company has confirmed that 4G-enabled smartphones from the likes of Samsung, Sony, BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia and Huawei will work on its network.

Duncan Higgins, director of products and marketing at Virgin Media Business, said its 4G offerings will benefit businesses that want to encourage remote working.

"With 4G, you can get more done, work flexibly and bring your professional applications together on a single device. Remote working is now the norm and adding 4G to our services increases our customers' options for working in a way that suits them," Higgins explained.

"CIOs up and down the country have told us they believe mobile communications will be essential for the future of their organisation, but they also need a base of operations.

"In response, our new service builds on our existing connectivity, convergence and collaboration services while enabling businesses to give staff safe, secure mobile access to the tools and data they need," he added.