EE offers 4G home broadband from £35 per month, with average download speeds of 31Mbps and no need for a phone line.
If you’re looking for an alternative to broadband through your phone line, EE now offers a 4G-powered home broadband service.
EE’s 4G home broadband is available from £35 per month, with an average download speed of 31Mbps (depending on location). You’ll get a 4GEE Home Router 2 device that allows you to connect up to 64 devices to your home wi-fi network.
In this article, we’ll review EE’s 4G home broadband service. We’ll start by looking at how it works, the plans available from EE and how they compare to EE’s regular home broadband. We’ll then look at the 4GEE Home Router 2 in more detail and the optional 4GEE Antenna installation service. Finally, we’ll compare EE’s 4G home broadband to rival plans available from other networks.
| Prices From: | £35 per month |
|---|---|
| Contract Length: | 18 months or 1-month rolling |
| Average Speed: | 31Mbps average download speed Will vary based on the signal strength & coverage in your area |
| Router: | 4GEE Home Router 2 |
| Coverage: | 99% of UK households (check your postcode) |
Contents
EE 4G Home Broadband Plans
If you’re living in an area where you’re not able to get decent broadband through your phone line, 4G home broadband services can be a good alternative to traditional broadband.
In the UK, EE now offers 4G-powered home broadband plans from £35 per month, with a range of download limits available between 100GB per month and fully unlimited data. You’ll get a 4GEE Home Router 2 included in the price and an average download speed of 31Mbps (dependent on location).
The following table shows EE’s 4G home broadband plans:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 month contracts | ||||
4GEE Home | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £35/month |
4GEE Home | 200GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £40/month |
4GEE Home | 300GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £45/month |
4GEE Home | 500GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £50/month |
4GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £55/month |
| 1 month contracts | ||||
4GEE Home | 500GB Data | 1 month contract | £150 | £55/month |
For access to the best value plans, you’ll need to sign up on an 18-month contract. However, a shorter 1-month plan is also available if you want the added flexibility or if your broadband service is only for short-term usage.
In 2019, the average UK household consumed 315GB of data per month on their home broadband connection (up from 240GB per month in 2018). Continuing the same rate of growth, the average data consumption is now likely to be in the region of 450-500GB per month. For this reason, we’d strongly recommend choosing an unlimited data plan if you’d like to use 4G broadband as a replacement for your current home broadband service.
EE’s 4G home broadband plans also include a mobile data boost if you have an EE Pay Monthly plan. Customers with a 5G phone plan will get a 20GB data boost. Meanwhile, customers with a 4G phone plan or a 12-month EE SIM-only deal will get a 5GB data boost on their plan.
4GEE Home vs EE Fibre Broadband
If you’re able to get EE’s fibre broadband service where you live, it will normally give you better performance at a lower price than on 4GEE Home.
At present, you can get EE’s fibre broadband service from just £24 per month (£24 per month if you’re an EE Pay Monthly mobile customer). This includes an unlimited data allowance which will otherwise cost you £55 per month on 4GEE Home.
If you choose EE’s standard home broadband (which uses copper technology), this is available at an even lower price.
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 EE Standard | 10Mbps download | 24 month contract | £10 | £23.50/month £21 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
EE Fibre | 36Mbps download | 24 month contract | £0 | £24/month £24 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
EE Fibre Plus | 67Mbps download | 24 month contract | £0 | £31/month £27 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
EE Fibre Max 100 | 145Mbps download | 24 month contract | £25 | £35/month £35 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
EE Fibre Max 300 | 300Mbps download | 24 month contract | £25 | £42/month £42 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
EE Full Fibre Max 900 | 900Mbps download | 24 month contract | £25 | £54/month £54 for EE pay monthly mobile customers |
See all EE fibre broadband deals →
If you choose EE’s fibre broadband service, you can add Smart WiFi for an extra £10/month. This gives you an EE Smart Wi-Fi Booster Disc along with an upgraded Smart Wi-Fi Router and a portable 4GEE WiFi Mini hotspot. Unfortunately, the Smart WiFi service is not currently available to customers with 4GEE Home. For more information, see our EE Smart WiFi review.
In our opinion, where the 4GEE Home service really comes into its own is in the following situations:
- If you’re unable to get decent speeds on fibre broadband from EE. If you aren’t able to get EE’s fibre broadband service, or if the speeds available are very slow where you live, you might be able to get better speeds and performance when using 4G broadband instead.
- If you want greater flexibility (e.g. on contract length or location). If you sign up for EE’s fibre broadband service, it’ll be fixed to your home location for another 18 months. On the contrary, EE’s 4G home broadband is much more flexible. You can get it on a one-month rolling contract, or you can simply pick up the router and bring it to another location.
- If you want to get online more quickly. With fibre broadband, it normally takes around two weeks to get your service set up. With 4GEE Home, your router is dispatched more quickly and you simply need to plug it in at the wall to get online.
For more information, see our in-depth EE broadband review.
EE 4G Broadband Speeds
According to EE, an average download speed of 31Mbps is available on their 4G home broadband service. However, it’s important to remember that this can vary substantially depending on the 4G signal and 4G coverage available where you live. In theory, it’s possible to get speeds of up to 300Mbps on the service.
To get an idea of the speeds that might be available, you can use EE’s online broadband availability checker. This will show you all of the broadband plans available where you live and the speed expected on each plan.
An external 4G antenna can often improve the speeds and reliability of your 4G home broadband service.
4GEE Home Router 2
Customers signing up for EE’s 4G home broadband service will now receive the 4GEE Home Router 2. This replaces the original 4GEE Home Router which was offered to 4G broadband customers until early 2021.
The 4GEE Home Router 2 connects to EE’s 4G mobile network in the background. Using the 4G signal, it will then produce a wi-fi network for your other devices to connect to.
According to EE, the 4GEE Home Router 2 will allow you to connect up to 64 devices to your network at the same time. It also offers up to “30 metres of wi-fi range”. There’s support for dual-band Wi-Fi 5 technology (802.11b/g/n/ac). You’ll also get four Gigabit Ethernet sockets for connecting wired devices to your home network.
In terms of mobile connectivity, the 4GEE Home Router 2 has support for up to Category 7 LTE speeds (300Mbps download and 100Mbps upload). It also has a built-in antenna you can use, or there’s a pair of SMA connectors for attaching an external antenna if required.
The following table shows the technical specifications of EE’s latest 4GEE Home Router 2:
| 4GEE Home (EE 4GEE Home Router 2) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Home Broadband Plans | |
| Price: | From £35/month |
| Data: | 100GB - Unlimited |
| Unlimited Data: | £55/month |
| Contract Length: | 1-18 months |
| Mobile Connectivity | |
| 4G Connectivity: | Category 7 LTE |
| 4G Download Speed: | Up to 300 Mbps download |
| 4G Upload Speed: | Up to 100 Mbps upload |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands TBC |
| External Antenna: | Yes, 2x SMA connectors |
| Home Network Connectivity | |
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/ |
| Wi-Fi Devices: | Up to 64 devices |
| Ethernet: | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Other | |
| Dimensions: | 24.0 x 15.5 x 2.95 cm |
| Weight: | 440g |
| Model: | EE 4GEE Home Router 2 |
| Colour: | White |
| More Information: | See shop.ee.co.uk |
Compared with the original 4GEE Home Router, the new 4GEE Home Router 2 supports twice as many devices at the same time. It allows you to access wi-fi connectivity on up to 64 devices whereas the original router only supported up to 32 devices. In addition, the 4GEE Home Router 2 has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, compared to the 2 ports available on the original 4GEE Home Router.
External Antenna
EE’s 4G home broadband has two SMA sockets allowing you to connect an external antenna. This can help you to get a more reliable connection and faster download speeds, compared to using the antenna that’s inside the router.
If you like, you can buy an external SMA antenna from websites like Amazon. Our guide on external 4G antennas will tell you what to look for when buying your own antenna.
Alternatively, EE also offers a professional installation service of their 4GEE Antenna for £100. According to EE, the 4GEE Antenna will be “positioned on an exterior wall of your property”. A 5m cable will then run from the aerial to your router.
You’ll need to be the owner of your property (or you’ll need permission from the owner) to use the 4GEE External Antenna.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for an alternative 4G home broadband or 5G home broadband service, the best value plans are currently available from Three Broadband.
On Three, you’ll pay £14/month for unlimited 4G home broadband or £26/month for unlimited 5G home broadband. Their 4G service is available in around 25% of UK homes and their 5G service is available in parts of 194 UK towns and cities.
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £14/month |
 Three 5G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £26/month |
See all Three Broadband deals →
Three also offers a range of a shorter 12-month and 1-month rolling plans.
It’s also possible to get a 4G home broadband service from the following providers:
- 4G Internet is a specialist provider of 4G home broadband, making use of 4G coverage from Vodafone and O2. You can get unlimited 4G home broadband from £39.99/month. They also offer a professional 4G antenna installation service for £399.
- BT offers 4G home broadband with unlimited data from £45 per month. They make use of EE’s 4G network for this. On BT, you can choose from two different plans with a maximum download speed of either 15Mbps or 30Mbps.
- Vodafone offers 4G and 5G home broadband on their GigaCube service. Plans start from £30 per month for 100GB of data. If you choose the GigaCube 5G service, you can get unlimited 5G data for £60 per month.
For more information, see our in-depth guides to 4G home broadband and 5G home broadband in the UK.
Alternatively, if you’re simply looking for a 4G-based backup for your fibre broadband connection, you can get this through BT’s Hybrid Connect or Vodafone’s 4G Broadband Backup.
Coverage & Availability
EE’s 4G home broadband service makes use of a wireless 4G connection instead of a phone line or cable connection to your home. For this reason, you might still be able to get high-speed 4G broadband even in places where you aren’t able to get a fibre broadband connection.
At present, EE’s 4G network covers 99% of the UK’s population and around 85% of the UK’s landmass. Before you sign up for the service, it’s important to double-check the availability of coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on EE’s online coverage map:
Check EE Coverage (ee.co.uk) →
If you prefer, you can also use EE’s combined coverage checker for both 4G broadband and fibre broadband. This can check the availability of both types of broadband, showing you the speeds and data plans available on each one.
For more information, see our guide to EE broadband and our guide to EE’s mobile coverage in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How much does 4G home broadband cost on EE? | It’s currently possible to get EE’s 4G home broadband service from £35 per month (for 100GB of data). If you want unlimited data, you’ll need to pay £55 per month.
It’s worth comparing this against other 4G home broadband deals and other 5G home broadband deals also available in the UK. For instance, Three Broadband charges only £14/month for unlimited 4G home broadband. |
|---|---|
| How much will I pay for the 4GEE Home Router 2? | You’ll need to pay an upfront fee to get your 4GEE Home Router 2. There’s a £50 upfront fee on a 18-month contract and a £150 upfront fee on a 1-month rolling plan. |
| What speeds will I get on EE’s 4G home broadband? | According to EE, there’s an average download speed of 31Mbps on their 4G home broadband service. In practice, the speeds you get will depend on your location and the quality of 4G coverage you’re able to get.
The 4GEE Home Router 2 can support up to Category 7 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbps download and up to 100Mbps upload). |
| How many devices can I use with EE’s 4G home broadband? | You can connect up to 64 devices to your 4GEE Home Router 2 using wi-fi (this includes your laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart TV or other smart home devices). Additionally, you can connect 4 devices to the router using a Gigabit Ethernet connection. |
| Does the 4GEE Home Router support 5G? | No. The 4GEE Home Router 2 only supports 4G technology. If you want access to 5G, you’ll need to get 5G home broadband instead. Three’s 5G home broadband is the most popular service, currently costing £26/month for unlimited 5G data. |
| What coverage will I get on 4GEE Home? | EE offers 99% population coverage and 85% geographical coverage across the UK. You should use their online coverage map to see whether 4G is available in your area. You can also use EE’s combined line checker to see the fibre broadband and 4G broadband plans in your area. |
More Information
For more information about EE’s 4G home broadband, please see the official EE website.
You may also find it useful to read our EE broadband review and our overview of 4G home broadband services in the UK.
Alastair said:
Hi Ken
Somewhat behind the curve on this topic date however having a punt.
I have been researching these options for several years and losing faith. We are on a farm in a rural location very near a city in the West Midlands. Therefore we are not classed as rural for any broadband grants. Our exchange was upgraded to fibre a few years ago but our cabinet wasn’t. Too few connections to be viable. Took the council Superfast team to subsidise it 18 months later. We purchased FTTC immediately. Speeds are supposed to be 13mbps down but regularly fail to reach this.
We are a 1.25 km copper wire from the cabinet despite being able to see it from our bedroom window. My mother-in-law who is slightly closer to the cabinet, in the farm cottage, gets 30mb down with Now Broadband. Doesn’t matter who we use our line is only capable of 13mb down I’m told. FTTP On Demand is not available either according to OpenReach. Starlink is available too apparently but way too expensive.
I have been considering a 5G EE Home Router to use the fallback 4G signal until 5G is available. I would run it on our TP Link Deco 5 mesh system. There is 5G signal one small field away from us and on the other side of the nearby dual-carriageway but we are in a not-spot which is infuriating. However, a helpful telecoms engineer told me the network capacity of 5G is choked in our area as there are too few masts. Everyone being sold 5G devices is thus connecting to a limited network until the telco’s roll-out enough too make it viable.
Reading these comments I am still worried the speeds, stability and continuity of using a 4G home router won’t cut it. We are heavy users, my daughter all day and my wife tutors students all over the world from home so needs a very reliable connection.
We are apparently within range of the Airband.co.uk network. Do you or anyone else have experience of these wireless networks? They claim up to 60 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. If we can achieve these with stability, it seems a sensible upgrade option.
Ray Harris said:
Hi
We went on an EE 4G router plan for 18 months having got fed up with 20th century Broadband internet speeds for too long in our rural area, with c 8-13Mb and 0.5Mb up.
4G routers seemed like a fairly new and better option at the time, so we went for one with EE. There was a bit of an improvement with the router, although with frequent drop outs and intermittent issues, at £90/mo for unlimited data, it came at a very high cost. Average speeds were 15-max 30 Mb and 15Mb up, but often much less.
Last year we went on a Sim only unlimited data plan which brought cost down to c£20 a month. But last month the box failed. EE were good enough to send me a new sim, but that was not the issue. The router itself needed replacing. The only option they had was to buy a new plan at £55 / mo for 18 months. Over £1000!
Instead we went for an unlocked TPLink dual band AR600 for £123 using the new sim. I was shocked. Our 4G isn’t bad here at all. We now have a rock solid connection, no drop outs, 40-50 Mb up and 25Mb down consistently – on the same EE cellular 4G SIM card.
EE has been a fairly good provider and quite responsive, but avoid their white i4G routers. Cheap nasty and massively overpriced.
Nick said:
Ken,
Very interesting thread. We have EE 4G and the Home Router, and we had EE come and install their 4G antenna as well. We then use the Devolo Magic 1 mesh network to have a network all round the house. Through the mesh the wifi is all on the 2.4Ghz frequency from the router, and the download varies massively, sometimes it averages 16Mbps, other times it can be less than 3Mbps or even 0Mbps for Upload. I am guessing this is why the internet still drops a lot. EE suggested I download and app called Coverage Map, when I run tests on that it shows that even when the signal strength averages 16, it literally goes from 0 to 31 which might explain why the internet keeps dropping. If i run the same App through my iphone EE 4g I am getting 71Mbps as an average.
If I change to a better Router, like the huawei b618 do you think that might help? Also, will i be able to plug the b618 into the Devolo mesh?
Nick
Ken replied:
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your comment. To be honest, it sounds like you might have an unstable 4G connection, so I’m not sure changing the router is going to make very much of a difference here. You’d normally be better off trying out a different antenna, or setting it up to point in a different direction or at another mast. However, it sounds like you’ve already had a professional installation from EE, so I’m unsure whether this is still worthwhile. My recommendation would be to feedback to EE on the poor/unstable connection you’re having and to see whether they’re able to do anything else with the antenna that might improve your reception.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Ken
Jenni replied:
I have an EE router and they also did the external router installation. The engineer told me the speed increase was not great enough so I hope I won’t be paying for it tho I haven’t checked.
My 4g connection is also very unstable.
Both my neighbours have BT infinity speeds up to 76/78mb. I get 6mb on fixed line, it turns out my phone line is on an open reach box 1,5km away which also has cable to the cabinet so I am in a ‘black hole’ where I am not eligible for an ESO.
BT say they are talking to openreach to fix the problem but this has been since 1 July and nothing has changed.
I have a satellite dish sitting in the hallway which I am trying to avoid installing, and could give me 60mb OM if I pay £85pm with UK connect.
The vodaphone tablet sim I have been testing is also unstable but the signal is better.
I am now thinking of getting a TP router – maybe this AR600 – I really can’t tell from the tp link website the best one to get! I’ve emailed them… 🙏
And then installing wired connections to get the signal thru the house as the walls are thick.
I read a net gear router was also good, but since I have two tp link WiFi extenders already I’m thinking to go with to link for the router. They are an AC 2600 and an AC 1750. Thinking I will need some tp link electricity wired routers as well? The house is old, some wiring is 1950s, will these still be ok?
All suggestions gratefully received as I am desperate! I’ve spent about 100 hours trying to resolve, this and I am lost in the black hole of openreach.
And I work from home and I’ve just opened a new airbnb retreat space and people want/need/expect fast internet! 😱
Thanking you all in advance,
Jenni