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What Is EE 5G+ and What Does It Mean for Your Business Mobile Contract?

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Quick Answer: From 13th May 2026, EE has confirmed to partners that 5G+ is now inclusive on all Small Business Full Works, All Rounder, and Essentials plans for Business Mobile customers. According to EE, 5G+ currently reaches more than 50 million people in the UK, can deliver up to 20% longer battery life than standard 5G, and is designed to improve speed and reliability in busy places. It is auto-included on new connections and upgrades from 13th May 2026 – provided you have a compatible device, an R15 Future Mobile SIM activated after September 2021 or an eSIM, and are taking a new connection or upgrade on or after that date.

Last updated: 14 May 2026. Based on EE’s partner-facing 5G+ SMB Excalibur Update, issued 13 May 2026.

What Is EE 5G+?

5G+ is the next generation of EE’s 5G network – faster, more reliable, and engineered to perform better than standard 5G in the conditions where business users most often experience degraded performance.

Key facts

(source: EE partner-facing 5G+ SMB Excalibur Update, 13 May 2026)

Feature

Detail

Current UK reach

50 million+ people

Nationwide target

99% of the UK population by end of March 2030

Battery life improvement

Up to 20% versus standard 5G (according to EE)

Latency

Significantly lower than standard 5G

Call quality

Sharper and more reliable

Security

Enhanced versus standard 5G

AI processing

Faster on-device AI performance

The most significant practical difference for business users is performance in busy locations. In town centres, transport hubs, conference venues, and dense city offices – anywhere many devices are competing for the same network resource – standard 5G can slow down noticeably. 5G+ is built to handle that congestion and maintain consistent speeds where standard 5G would typically degrade.

Which EE Business Plans Include 5G+?

As of 13 May 2026, EE has confirmed to partners that 5G+ is included as standard across all EE Small Business plan tiers: Full Works, All Rounder, and Essentials. Previously, enhanced 5G features like Network Boost and 5G Standalone were limited to the upper two tiers. 5G+ is different – it is now available at every level, at no additional cost.

The table below shows the full plan comparison, with the 5G+ row reflecting EE’s partner-facing 5G+ SMB Excalibur Update dated 13 May 2026. Other features are sourced from the EE Price Guide for Small Business (April 2026).

Feature

Essentials

All Rounder

Full Works

Data options

5GB to Unlimited

10GB to Unlimited

Unlimited only

Minutes & texts

Unlimited (UK & ROI)

Unlimited (UK & ROI)

Unlimited (UK & ROI)

Network Boost

Unlimited plans only

Unlimited plans only

All plans

⚡ 5G+ (from May 2026)

Now included

Now included

Now included

EU/EEA roaming included

No

Yes

Yes

Rest of World Zone 1 roaming

No

No

Yes

Upgrade Anytime

No

Yes

Yes

Extended Warranty

Yes

Yes

Yes

Stay Connected Data (at cap)

Yes – 0.5Mbps

Yes – 0.5Mbps

N/A (unlimited only)

5G+ inclusion across all tiers is based on EE’s partner-facing 5G+ SMB Excalibur Update dated 13 May 2026. Other features are sourced from the EE Price Guide for Small Business, April 2026. Check our latest EE business mobile deals or speak to us for current pricing.

The key takeaway from the table: 5G+ is now the only enhanced 5G feature available at every plan level. Network Boost – which prioritises your data connection in busy or crowded locations – remains limited to Unlimited plans on Essentials and All Rounder, and is included across all Full Works plans. For businesses choosing between tiers, that distinction is worth factoring in alongside the roaming differences.

Who Gets 5G+ and When?

New connections and upgrades

5G+ is auto-included. There is nothing to activate. Three requirements apply:

  1. A new connection or upgrade on or after 13th May 2026. 5G+ is available on connections and upgrades taken from this date onwards.
  2. A compatible device. Not every 5G handset supports 5G+. Confirm compatibility before committing to a specific model on upgrade.
  3. An R15 Future Mobile SIM activated after September 2021, or an eSIM. Most EE business customers who have connected or upgraded in the past four years will already meet this requirement.

Mid-contract (in-term) customers

Customers who cannot yet upgrade will not automatically receive 5G+. EE has indicated it is planning a summer 2026 add-on option for in-term customers who cannot upgrade, though the detail is still to be confirmed. SIM-only customers are excluded from that planned add-on.

SIM-only customers

At the time of writing, EE has not confirmed a 5G+ route for existing SIM-only customers through the planned in-term add-on.

What Does 5G+ Mean in Practice for Business?

For mobile-heavy teams in busy locations

Field workers, account managers, and anyone who works regularly from city centres, client sites, or events will see the most immediate benefit. 5G+ is specifically engineered for high-congestion environments – meaning more reliable data speeds and video call performance when everyone around you is on the same network.

For businesses using AI tools on mobile

EE’s 5G+ update cites quicker AI processing as a direct benefit. As business applications – from transcription and translation to scheduling and CRM – increasingly run on mobile, network-level processing speed has a measurable impact on how those tools perform day-to-day.

For businesses approaching renewal

If your contracts are coming up, 5G+ is now included at every plan level. If your fleet is running SIMs activated before September 2021, building in a SIM swap at renewal is worth factoring into the process – it is the step that unlocks 5G+ eligibility.

EE 5G+ Coverage

According to EE’s 5G+ SMB Excalibur Update (13 May 2026):

  • Current reach: 50 million+ people across the UK
  • Nationwide target: 99% of the UK population by end of March 2030
  • Performance advantage: Strongest in high-density urban environments; rural coverage continues to expand

Coverage is not yet universal. If your team is spread across multiple sites – or includes rural locations – it is worth running a network coverage check before treating 5G+ as a guaranteed capability across your whole fleet.

We can run a coverage comparison across EE, O2, Vodafone, and Three against your specific business locations. Get a free business mobile review if you want to check whether EE 5G+ is the right fit for your renewal.

FAQs

What is EE 5G+ in simple terms?

It is the next step beyond standard 5G - faster, with lower latency, better battery life (up to 20% improvement according to EE), and designed to maintain performance in congested locations like city centres and transport hubs.

Which EE business plans include 5G+?

All four Small Business plan tiers from 13th May 2026: Full Works, All Rounder, Essentials, and No Frills.

Does EE 5G+ cost extra?

No. It is included as standard on all four EE Small Business plan tiers for new connections and upgrades from 13th May 2026.

What do I need to access EE 5G+?

A compatible device, and either an R15 Future Mobile SIM activated after September 2021 or an eSIM.

What if I am mid-contract and cannot upgrade yet?

EE has indicated it is exploring a summer 2026 add-on for in-term customers, but nothing has been confirmed. SIM-only customers are excluded from any such add-on. Check back once further details are announced.

How many people does EE 5G+ currently cover?

More than 50 million people in the UK, according to EE, with a target of nationwide coverage by 2030.

How does EE 5G+ differ from standard 5G?

Standard 5G outperforms 4G in most conditions. 5G+ goes further - with significantly lower latency, up to 20% better battery life, enhanced security, sharper call quality, and materially better performance in congested environments (all figures according to EE Business, May 2026).

If your business is approaching renewal or you want to check whether your current fleet qualifies for 5G+, BusinessMobiles.com can review your account and compare options across EE, O2, Vodafone, and Three.

Picture of Katie du Plessis
Katie du Plessis
Katie du Plessis is a content writer and researcher at BusinessMobiles.com, with eight years of experience in ecommerce content and a habit of not stopping until she has a proper answer. She works closely with BusinessMobiles.com's team of business mobile specialists to write about the things customers actually want to know - the deals worth knowing about, the questions worth asking, and the answers that aren't always easy to find. If there's a difficult question worth answering, Katie's probably already halfway down the rabbit hole to find it.

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