EE launches UK-first 5G ‘Fast Lane’ to beat network congestion

EE has launched a commercial 5G network slicing service for consumers and small businesses, promising priority connectivity. 

Called “Fast Lane”,  is one of the first attempts by a UK mobile operator to turn 5G standalone network slicing from a technology demonstration into a product customers can actually buy.

The Fast Lane service uses EE’s 5G+ standalone network to move eligible customers onto a dedicated network slice rather than leaving them competing with general traffic.

The technology is aimed at locations including stadiums, concerts, festivals, railway stations and busy city centres, where devices can suddenly pile onto the same network.

From trial to tariff

EE has been experimenting with network slicing for more than two years, including trials at Wembley Stadium, Belfast Christmas Market, SailGP in Portsmouth, the EE BAFTAs and this year’s Royal Welsh Show.

Fast Lane takes the technology commercial. The network monitors demand and, when congestion threatens performance, eligible connections can be shifted automatically onto the dedicated slice without the customer having to activate anything.

EE says this should allow customers to continue livestreaming, making video calls, accessing digital tickets, messaging or using navigation when the surrounding network is heavily loaded.

For small businesses, the more important applications could be card payments, ticketing and other mobile business applications at crowded events.

Premium access

EE is initially putting Fast Lane behind its premium tariffs. Consumers will get access through a new Full Works Pluspay-monthly handset plan, costing £5 a month more than the existing Full Works tariff and requiring a compatible 5G+ handset.

The package also includes unlimited maximum-speed data, worldwide roaming, unlimited smartwatch data, family data gifting, a premium inclusive extra, Anytime Upgrade and Network Boost.

Fast Lane is also available to new and re-signing small business customers taking an EE Full Works business plan with a compatible 5G+ handset.

EE will also begin displaying a 5G+ icon on compatible smartphones so customers can see when they are connected to its standalone network. It is already supported on some Android devices, with wider device support promised later this year.

A slice of the action

Network slicing has been touted as one of the major commercial advantages of 5G standalone. Operators can create virtual sections of a physical network with different performance characteristics.

Until now, much of the activity around slicing has remained confined to trials and enterprise demonstrations.

EE says its 5G+ network now reaches around 54 million people, equivalent to 78 per cent of the UK population, across several hundred towns and cities.

The operator plans to extend 5G+ coverage to 99 per cent of the population by the end of March 2030 as part of BT Group’s £40 billion UK investment programme.

Claire Gillies, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said: “Whether they’re live streaming a special moment from a sell-out gig or processing mobile payments and ticketing at a festival, Fast Lane helps keep customers connected even when thousands of people around them are trying to connect at the same time.”