Ever since Orange and T-Mobile joined forces to become EE in the UK, there’s been no shortage of confusion around exactly what the relationship between Orange and EE actually is. Well, let’s clear it up.
Since the 1st of April 2010, Orange and T-Mobile ceased to be, instead becoming Everything Everywhere, later EE. Though both brands continued to operate for existing customers for a number of years, they were gone in the publics eye and, for those changing their contracts, Orange branding and customer support disappeared.
Today, all Orange customers are EE customers, so if you’re looking for the latest Orange news, you’re actually looking for the latest EE news. Luckily, we’re here to roundup all the latest stories from the company, as of October 2017. Let’s get going.
EE Helikite Balloon Delivered 4G Data to Rural Event
EE are understandably keen on getting strong 4G signal to as many places as possible across the UK, but it’s not always possible to build cell mast in rural areas. Now, the world’s first commercial Helikite “air mast” has taken flight over rural Wales in order to bring signal to hundreds of people at a sporting event.
The air mast is designed to provide temporary data coverage for remote but densely populated events, like you’d find at music festivals. The inaugural Helikite test came 300 feet above a Red Bull mountain biking event in Machynlleth in Snowdonia Natiaonl Park. The balloon saw download speeds at the event hit 175Mbps, with uploads at 45Mbps – perfect for uploading clips from the event.
EE suggest that the balloon can be completely inflated and functional within 50 minutes, and can stay airborne for weeks at a time.
UK’s Fastest 4G Wi-Fi Device Launches from EE
When it comes to 4G Wi-Fi devices, there’s not a great deal of choice available for consumers, but things are getting better. Case in point? EE’s new Netgear Nighthawk M1, which the company claim is the “fastest 4G Wi-Fi device” in the country.
The device is now available online or in stores and can hit Cat 16 speeds. In their own testing, the device hit 429Mbps downloads in Wales, where their latest mast technology is active. Up to 20 devices at a time can connect to the Nighthawk M1 and the device can be used portably or at home, making it an ideal all-round Wi-Fi option.
EE Apologises for Voice Outage
Our phones might be for more than talking on these days, but that doesn’t mean we don’t notice when we lose the ability to call.
On the 10th of October, voice services for countless customers went down across the country, leading to a spate of customers seeking the Orange contact number to solve their issue. Now, EE have said that the issue is resolved.
“Some of our customers are reporting problems when trying to make calls to some numbers this morning,” the firm said in a statement.
“All data and messaging services are working as normal. We’re working to fix this as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”