• EE upgrades mobile network ahead of expected bumper staycation summer to help customers stay connected
• 4G network upgraded in UK’s busiest coastal locations – with more to follow this summer – alongside rollout of 5G in several coastal towns and cities
• RNLI says mobile connectivity can help people stay safe at the coast and gives top tips on water safety

EE has added extra mobile capacity to some of the UK’s most popular coastal locations, in anticipation of a bumper ‘staycation summer’.

Upgrades to its 4G network – alongside the rollout of its 5G network in several coastal towns and cities – will bring better coverage and increased speeds in high-demand areas. Mobile users will have better signal to make calls from these locations and faster data speeds to access the internet and apps.

The enhanced 4G coverage forms an integral part of Britain’s Emergency Services Network (ESN), which is already providing critical communications for some first responder and emergency agencies, allowing them to stay connected whilst they fulfil their vital public safety roles.

As the RNLI prepares for an exceptionally busy summer, visitors to coastal areas are being encouraged to plan their trips and access beach safety advice online. The RNLI has also provided advice on how people can use their mobile phone to stay safe while visiting the coast.

Important information on where people can find their nearest lifeguarded beach, what dangers they could face, and what to do in an emergency can be found by visiting: rnli.org/beachsafety.

Marc Allera, CEO Consumer Division, BT, said: “With many popular seaside locations expecting a busy summer, we’re pleased to be providing improved coastal connectivity.

“The upgrades to our network will help ensure our customers stay connected this summer, even at the busiest times. The additional capacity delivered through improvements to our 4G network, alongside the continued roll-out of our 5G network, will help people make the most of their time at the coast, and also provide a valuable lifeline, if an emergency occurs.”

Gareth Morrison, RNLI Head of Water Safety, said: “We do expect coastal areas to be very busy this summer, but if people follow key safety advice, they can stay safe and enjoy their time at the beach and along our coastlines.

“Alongside our lifeboat crew and lifeguards, mobile phones can help people stay safe when at the coast, so improvements to coastal coverage is welcomed. Smartphones can help people plan their day at the coast and check things like the weather, tide times and where our lifeguards are patrolling. Mobiles also allow people to call for help quickly in an emergency situation.

“Whether you’re walking along the coast, angling from rocks, or relaxing on the beach, having the means to call for help in an emergency can be the difference between life and death.”

Top advice from the RNLI on how to use your mobile to stay safe at the coast:

• Find and visit your nearest lifeguarded beach at rnli.org/lifeguardedbeaches
• If you’re in an emergency situation or spot someone else in trouble, you should call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard
• Even if your phone shows no service, try calling 999 or 112 anyway, as in an emergency, your phone will be able to use another phone network
• You should ensure your phone is fully charged before heading out, and might want to take a portable charger and keep your mobile in a waterproof pouch and within reach.

EE has upgraded its 4G network in the following locations, with a further 16 locations* to follow later this summer:

• Blackpool
• Bournemouth
• Brighton
• Dawlish
• Gt Yarmouth
• Isle of Sheppey
• Maldon
• Porthcawl
• Rhyl

As part of its ongoing 5G rollout, EE has switched on the next-generation technology in:

• Ayr
• Blackpool
• Brighton
• Paignton
• Poole
• Porthcawl
• Southend-on-Sea
• Swansea
• Weston-Super-Mare

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Notes

*4G upgrades due to be completed in summer 2021 in:

Aberystwyth

Berwick upon Tweed

Budleigh Salterton

Cardigan Bay

Clacton on Sea

Newquay

Padstow

Selsey

Scarborough

Skegness

Snowdonia

St Ives

Tenby

Whitstable

Windermere

Woolacombe

The RNLI and BT announced last year a new strategic supplier partnership that will support the lifesaving charity’s aim of defeating drowning. The agreement will see BT, over the next five years, upgrading the RNLI’s fixed, wireless and mobile networks, helping its staff, volunteers, and supporters connect faster and more effectively. They have also entered a partnership to develop innovative new technologies to help save lives.

For more information, please contact:

Helen Line – [email protected]

Gareth Morgan – [email protected]

About EE

EE runs the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012, and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.

EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK’s no.1 5G network by RootMetrics® in 2020 and 2021, and the UK’s best network every year since 2014 for the following awards: The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.

As well as delivering mobile services to consumers, small and medium businesses, corporate customers and Government programmes, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections.

EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry, and has nearly 600 shops across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.

EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.

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About RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre. Contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected]

Source: EE Newsroom
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