EE just unleashed its fastest full-fibre connections, with eye-watering download speeds of 8Gbps.
That's 28x faster than the average household broadband connection, as measured in Ofcom's Connected Nations Report last year. For comparison, Netflix requires just 15Mbps to watch its highest quality 4K Ultra HD streams.
According to EE, its next-generation 8Gbps connection is fast enough to connect up to 190x devices simultaneously. Don't expect to see any buffering on your next boxset binge-watch — even at peak times, with dozens of people connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and a slew of smart home gadgets running in the background.
EE has set records with this upgraded broadband connection, but its rivals aren't too far behind. Vodafone offers 2.2Gbps speeds for those with its Wi-Fi 7 router, while Sky Broadband offers top speeds of 5Gbps.
Since this requires cutting-edge XGS-PON technology, it's only available in a very limited number of postcodes. EE has started rolling out its 8Gbps download speeds to addresses in Guildford, Woking, and the surrounding areas.
The next-generation XGS-PON technology is built on top of the existing Openreach network, owned and operated by BT and used by a swathe of different broadband suppliers, including Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, and Vodafone.
If you can sign up with any of these brands at your address, you can switch between any of the rival networks that also operate on the Openreach infrastructure. Openreach is currently on target to upgrade 25 million premises to its full-fibre broadband network by the end of this year. This offers gigabit-capable speeds, some 4x faster than the average household connection in the UK. As it stands, Openreach has connected over 23.5 million homes and businesses across the UK, with plans to extend coverage further to 30 million premises by the end of the decade.
However, this supercharged new 8Gbps connection is not available across the same footprint.
While it's much more limited at the moment, EE's record-breaking connection — dubbed Advanced Full Fibre by the brand — is designed for the demands of modern households, like bandwidth-intensive activities such as 4K and 8K streaming, online gaming, remote working, video conferencing, and video doorbells and other smart home kit.
Its ultra-fast upload and download capabilities also make it ideal for those who regularly upload large files, create content, back up data to the cloud, or rely on seamless video collaboration. EE offers a slower 2.3Gbps speed for £54.99 per month, while the top-of-the-line 8Gbps plan starts from £74.99 per month.
Discussing the new speeds, EE Director of Product, Home and TV, Luciano Oliveira said: "Today marks a major milestone for EE as we become the first major UK provider to offer broadband speeds of up to 8Gbps on next-generation XGS-PON technology.
"As homes become more connected and customers place greater demands on their broadband, we're investing in the technologies that will power the next generation of digital experiences.
"Advanced Full Fibre combines exceptional speed, reliability and capacity, giving customers the confidence to do more online today while being ready for whatever comes next. We're delighted that households in Guildford, Woking and the surrounding areas are the first to benefit, and we look forward to bringing this capability to more homes across the UK."
