- Advanced Full Fibre Broadband from EE offers download speeds of 2.3Gbps and 8Gbps
- Speeds are potentially 222 times faster than standard superfast fibre
- Initially available in Guildford and Woking, expanding as Openreach rolls out its XGS-PON glass fibre network
Following a successful trial in early 2026, EE has launched its new Advanced Full Fibre Broadband plans, advertising download speeds of 2.3Gbps and 8Gbps. This makes EE the first provider to sell access to the Openreach XGS-PON glass fibre network.
The plans are initially only available in the Guildford and Woking areas, two Surrey towns in the London commuter belt, where the glass fibre network is installed and active.
EE is targeting users who rely on video conferencing, remote working, and content upload, and with multiple Internet of Things devices, as well as online gamers and streaming consumers. Speeds are up to 222 times faster than the standard superfast fibre broadband plans.
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Two plans for EE’s XGS-PON fibre
Customers can access two plans from EE. The 2.3Gbps Advanced Full Fibre Broadband plan starts at £54.99 per month, while the 8Gbps plan is available from £74.99 a month.
No upload speeds have been stated, nor are they listed on the sign-up page, but they can be expected to be similarly fast.
XGS-PON (10-Gigabit-capable Symmetric Passive Optical Network) is a high speed, high-bandwidth data network standard, currently available in various forms across Europe, North America, and other regions. In the UK, it is used in the nexfibre, CityFibre, and Openreach networks, with EE using the latter to provide these plans.
With streaming speeds supporting 4K and 8K video, these plans are likely to be popular where available, and support for up to 190 devices suggests the plans will include routers suited to IoT and smart home applications.
Will faster fibre improve British broadband?
“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,” noted Luciano Oliveira, Director of Product, Home and TV at EE.
“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.”
EE regularly wins recognition as the UK’s most popular network, with its business built on mobile (where its 4G, 5G and 5GSA speeds cover more than 90% of the UK) and an advertising campaign featuring Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon.
Unlike Virgin Media which owns its own fibre network, EE’s domestic and business broadband plans rely on third party infrastructure, mostly provided by Openreach, and due to the differences in connections across the country (and the legacy copper lines that remain in place in some locations), struggles to offer the same speeds for all customers.
This is a problem faced by all providers who sell access to Openreach lines, so EE’s immediate competitors will no doubt be watching with interest.
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