EE has begun selling home broadband at up to 8Gbps, becoming the first major UK provider to offer that speed to consumers over Openreach’s XGS-PON full fibre network. The new “Advanced Full Fibre” range starts from £54.99 a month for 2.3Gbps and £74.99 a month for 8Gbps, both on 24-month contracts, and is live now in eligible postcodes around Guildford and Woking. For most readers the practical impact is limited for now: this is a fixed broadband launch confined to a small corner of Surrey, and it does not change EE’s mobile or SIM-only tariffs.
What EE announced
EE confirmed the launch and pricing in a press release dated 31 July 2026, describing itself as the first major UK provider to offer 8Gbps speeds on advanced full fibre using XGS-PON technology. The two tiers follow a customer trial run earlier in 2026, which ISPreview had previously tracked as a pilot rather than a full commercial product.
According to ISPreview’s report on the same day, the 2.3Gbps tier comes with upload speeds of 230Mbps, while the 8Gbps tier is quoted at 800Mbps or above on the upload side. Both are asymmetric, so the headline figures refer to download speeds only. ISPreview also notes that both plans carry EE’s standard mid-contract price rise of £4 a month each April.
Hardware differs between the two tiers. ISPreview reports that 2.3Gbps customers receive EE’s Smart Hub 7 Pro, while 8Gbps customers are initially supplied with a TP-Link router because the matching Smart Hub is still some months away. Either way, an Openreach engineer visit is required to fit a 10Gbps-capable optical network terminal.
Where it is available
Availability is narrow at launch. EE’s press release cites Guildford, Woking and surrounding areas, and ISPreview lists eligible locations including Brookwood, Puttenham, Clandon, Shere and Worplesdon. EE says the footprint will grow as Openreach continues its XGS-PON rollout, but has not published a timetable or a target number of premises. ISPreview adds that existing EE broadband customers in those areas will be able to move onto the new tiers over the coming weeks, rather than on day one.
Luciano Oliveira, EE’s Director of Product, Home and TV, said the company is “investing in the technologies that will power the next generation of digital experiences,” as quoted by Mobile News on 31 July 2026.
Why XGS-PON matters
The technical story here is the network rather than the speed. Openreach’s existing full fibre network largely runs on GPON, which caps consumer products well below these figures. XGS-PON is a 10-Gigabit-capable successor that can run alongside GPON on the same fibre, which is why EE is able to sell multi-gigabit tiers without new cable being pulled to the home. That is what makes the launch a milestone for the wider UK market: once Openreach’s upgraded platform reaches an area, any ISP selling over Openreach — not just EE — has the option to build multi-gigabit products on it.
What it means for mobile and SIM buyers
Nothing in this announcement changes EE’s mobile side. The press release covers fixed-line broadband exclusively, with no mobile plan, SIM bundle or converged discount attached, and both ISPreview and Mobile News report it the same way. If you are shopping for a UK SIM-only or mobile plan, EE’s tariffs, allowances and pricing are unaffected by this launch.
It is also worth being realistic about the speeds themselves. Wi-Fi and the devices in a typical home are the usual bottleneck well before 8Gbps, and EE has not published guidance on what equipment is needed to see those rates in practice. For the vast majority of households, including heavy streaming and gaming users, gigabit-class connections already sit far above real-world demand. The more meaningful development for most people is the upload improvement and the fact that Openreach’s platform is moving to a technology with far more headroom — benefits that will arrive gradually as coverage expands beyond the initial Surrey postcodes.
We will update this article if EE publishes a wider rollout schedule or extends the tiers to customers outside the launch area.