Iconic black cabs get 4G make-over to become UK's 'fastest' taxis
From Tuesday 2nd April, commuters in London and Birmingham can hitch a superfast ride in the 4GEE Taxis – the UK's first ever fleet of 4G enabled hackney carriages. Even if stuck in rush hour traffic, passengers will experience a super-speedy journey thanks to free mobile 4G from EE, as Britain's only superfast 4G network brings the latest in communications technology to this unique fleet of taxis.
The traditional hackney cab has long been a part of the UK's transport history and now 50 of these iconic vehicles are making history of their own. Each car has been given a hi-tech makeover and fitted with a state-of-the-art MiFi wireless router that acts as a mobile 4G hotspot connecting the cabs to the UK's only superfast 4G network.
Every day over 200,000 black cab journeys are taken across London alone and over 40% of smartphone users across London and Birmingham say they have been late for a meeting while in stuck in traffic. However, 1 in 5 commuters said it would make their day less stressful if they had access to the internet whilst travelling in a taxi. By fitting a fleet of 50 taxicabs with superfast 4G, EE hopes that passengers will see the time-saving benefits of using its 4G network on the go.
Spencer McHugh, Director of Brand, EE said: "The first motorised black cabs hit the streets in 1901, nearly 70 years before the first mobile phone was available to consumers, now we are bringing this icon of British transport into the 21st century with a 4G make-over. We hope this trial will demonstrate the benefits of a superior online experience as users can browse, download, catch up on emails, Tweet and check Facebook literally at the speed of light. We can't make taxi journeys any faster but we can certainly speed up people's smartphones!"
The free 4G service will be available for three months with 40 traditional Hackney carriages in London and 10 in Birmingham decked out with the state-of-the-art technology.
For more information on EE, please visit www.ee.co.uk.
-ENDS-
For further information, images or comment from an EE spokesperson, please contact the team at M&C Saatchi PR:
Thom Landers: thom.landers@mcsaatchi.com / 020 7544 3600
Jovana Rajacic: jovana.rajacic@mcsaatchi.com/ 020 7544 3600
Notes to editors
About the 4GEE Taxis
The 4GEE Taxis will be servicing the central metropolitan areas of both London and Birmingham.
Participating cabs can be identified by their distinctive EE-branded aqua livery.
Passengers wanting to trial the EE 4G experience can simply text from their smartphone to receive a personalised code that allows them to log on to the superfast service and start browsing.
About EE
EE is the most advanced digital communications company in Britain, providing mobile and fixed-line services to 27 million customers, and is the first company in the UK to provide 4G mobile services alongside fixed-line fibre.
EE is the company that runs the Orange, T-Mobile and EE brands in the UK.
Its 4G service will cover more than half of the UK population by June and EE continues to improve the speed and reach of the UK's first 4G network. Its fibre service already covers 50% of the population.
EE's mobile service currently provides coverage to 99% of the population with 2G and 98% of the population with 3G.
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About the survey
The survey was conducted by One Poll of 500 smartphone users across London & Birmingham.
TfL http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/7311.aspx