EE, operating under BT Group, is one of the UK’s most advanced 5G SA operators. EE was among the first UK carriers to deploy 5G Standalone architecture and has been running live 5G SA infrastructure since 2023-2024.
EE 5G SA Status
EE has confirmed 5G SA deployment across major UK cities. The 5G Core (5GC) infrastructure EE is building is the network layer that eRedCap devices will require. EE uses BT Group’s substantial existing fibre and backhaul infrastructure to support 5G SA rollout.
EE and RedCap (Release 17)
EE is confirmed as one of the UK operators with live 5G SA capable of supporting Release 17 RedCap devices. With the Semtech AirLink RX400 and EX400 routers (both 5G RedCap Release 17) commercially available, EE is a viable network for current RedCap deployments.
EE and eRedCap (Release 18)
eRedCap devices (Release 18, ~10 Mbps, single antenna) will operate on EE’s existing 5G SA infrastructure without network-side changes. EE does not need to deploy new network equipment to support eRedCap – it is a device-side standard. As eRedCap modules become available from 2026, EE’s live 5G SA coverage will be ready to carry them.
For comprehensive UK operator 5G SA coverage analysis and latest network status, see EE 5G RedCap on 5gredcap.co.uk.