THE UK’S BIGGEST FAMILY, THE RADFORDS, PUT EE FULL FIBRE BROADBAND THROUGH THE ULTIMATE TEST AT THE HOUSE OF FIBRE
- TV sensations and stars of 22 Kids and Counting, The Radfords, put EE’s Full Fibre broadband through its paces in Liverpool at the House of Fibre
- The Radfords, Noel (50), Sue (46), Sophie (28), Katie (19), Ellie (16), Aimee (15), Max (12), Tillie (11), Oscar (10), Casper (9), Daisy (9), Ayprill (7), Hallie (6), Phoebe (5), Leo (5), Archie (4), Bonnie (3), Heidie (1), joined EE at the hyperconnected home, taking part in a series of trials including a cooking masterclass with Great British Bake Off star and Chef, Mark Lutton, a virtual reality wellness session and the ultimate gaming experience as the family connected 100 devices simultaneously on EE’s Full Fibre broadband
- The House of Fibre will open its doors in Bristol on 5th / 6th March and Manchester on 9th / 10th April; tickets to these hyperconnected experiences trialled by The Radfords can be booked for free closer to the launch at https://www.houseoffibre.co.uk/
Thursday 24th February 2022, London: As a new study by EE reveals nearly a third (28%) of Brits believe the number of connected devices they have in the family home is slowing down their internet connection, leading to a quarter (25%) arguing with others in their home about needing to disconnect devices to get a better connection - the UK’s biggest family, The Radfords, were challenged to put EE’s Full Fibre Broadband to the ultimate family test at the House of Fibre - an immersive tech experience connecting 100 devices simultaneously.
The TV sensations and stars of 22 Kids and Counting on Channel 5 took part in a series of masterclasses all at the same time and all powered by EE’s Full Fibre broadband, including cooking, gaming and fitness sessions - to see how the Wi-Fi connection performed. EE’s House of Fibre is kitted out with an interactive kitchen featuring the latest smart cooking devices such as a smart diffuser to set the atmosphere and scent within the room, and a smart speaker offering step-by-step cooking instructions, a gamer’s paradise with multiple screens and multi-player consoles, a wellness gym including VR headsets and a smart mirror, and a living room for wall-to-wall, buffer-free streaming of the hottest TV shows and films. The house and masterclasses will then be available for visitors to enjoy for free in Bristol on 5th / 6th March and Manchester on 9th / 10th April.
During the cooking masterclass in The Smart Kitchen with Great British Bake Off star and Chef, Mark Lutton, Noel – an experienced baker –, Sue, Katie, Aimee and Daisy used a range of smart devices including a Wi-Fi powered blender, and a smart speaker, to cook a full meal in 30 minutes – something Noel confirmed would have taken much longer in a ‘traditional’ kitchen. At the same time, Sophie and Ellie had a well-deserved rest in The Wellness Gym, taking part in a virtual reality wellness experience using a VR headset which saw them enjoy a meditation session in the ‘wilderness’.
And it wasn’t just the older members of the family who had all the fun as Max, Tillie, Oscar, Casper, Hallie and Leo battled it out in The Gamers’ Bedroom guided by Excel Esports FIFA professionals, while Phoebe, Archie, Ayprill, Bonnie and Heidie relaxed in The Living Room streaming their favourite TV shows. Ellie, Aimee and Daisy even had the time (and bandwidth) to take selfies using the smart mirror in The Infinity Bathroom.
The Radford’s took on EE’s House of Fibre as it was revealed that in the last 12 months alone, Brits have spent on average 189 hours (the equivalent to just over a week) on virtual work calls and have found their social and family lifestyle activities becoming much more digital, regularly using their connection for services such as online shopping (78%), banking (72%), media streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney (46%) and gaming (23%).
EE’s Full Fibre plans offer customers the strength to connect 100 devices at once with an ultrafast gigabit connection on brand new cutting-edge broadband technology, powered by BT. This means customers can stream a 4K show, while playing games online, while Zoom calling friends, while live streaming on Instagram, and all using less than half of what their connection can handle.
It is perfect for busy connected homes providing extra capacity for multiple users – specifically the near third (28%) of Brits who believe the number of connected devices they have at home is slowing down their internet connection, the quarter (25%) who have had arguments with other people in their home about needing to disconnect devices to get a better connection and the fifth (18%) who have admitted to disconnecting someone else’s devices from the internet, without telling them, to get a better connection.
Furthermore, with 1 in 10 (13%) people under the age of 44 having between 21 and 30 devices connected to their Wi-Fi at any one time, and almost half (47%) saying they plan to add to their existing devices in the next two years, EE Full Fibre is built to provide a future proof connection and the capacity to enable homes to make the most of new high-bandwidth products and services such as 8K video, virtual reality gaming and the increasingly connected smart home.
The research also revealed the high-regard Brits have for their home broadband connection with a third (31%) admitting that they couldn’t last without Wi-Fi for more than one day. When faced with the choice between no internet access or no takeaways for a month, 45% say they’d forego their favourite takeaway, two fifths (39%) say they’d choose not to eat out and a quarter (23%) say they’d miss out on meeting friends. Almost a fifth (15%) even say they would skip using deodorant, while 6% would avoid brushing their teeth.
Sue Radford said: “Wi-Fi has become such an important part of my family’s home life, but with so many of us trying to get online at once it can sometimes be a bit of a strain with the likes of streaming films and gaming, bandwidth hogging. That’s why it’s been great to experience EE’s new Full Fibre broadband. It really does support all our ever growing needs for getting online and helps to keep harmony in the Radford household”.
Honey Langcaster-James, Chartered Psychologist & Broadcaster said: “A strong internet connection has become a priority for most families over the last few years. While there can sometimes be disagreements when all trying to use the same connection, Wi-Fi plays an important part in family life including connecting loved ones who aren’t able to see each other so easily – so the importance of having the best connectivity should not be underestimated.”
Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE, said: “The House of Fibre is a brilliant way for us to demonstrate to our customers what EE’s Full Fibre Max broadband is capable of. It really can handle anything and what better way to put that to the test than by challenging Britain’s biggest family to see how many devices they can use at once. The fact that a family of 18 were able to cook, exercise, game and stream movies using smart devices and without any glitches in connectivity, is testament to the power of this broadband”.
With EE Full Fibre broadband, users can connect 100 devices at once with an ultrafast gigabit connection, perfect for online gaming, boxset bingeing, and everything in between. EE Full Fibre is available in 24-month contracts from speeds of 100 (£35), 500 £44.50) and 900 (£55). EE pay monthly mobile customers can get a 10% discount on their EE broadband as well as a 20GB boost to their monthly mobile data allowance. What’s more, if they choose Full Fibre 500 or Full Fibre 900, they’ll be eligible for inclusive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership for up to 12 months for no extra cost.
EE’s new Full Fibre broadband is available to purchase at www.ee.co.uk.
EE’s House of Fibre is next in Bristol on 5th / 6th March and Manchester on 9th / 10th April. To find out more information on where to purchase free tickets, please visit: https://www.houseoffibre.co.uk/
ENDS
For more information, please contact M&C Saatchi Talk on ee@mcsaatchi.com
About EE
EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012 and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.
EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK’s no.1 5G network by RootMetrics® in 2020 and being named the UK's best network every year since 2014 for the following awards: The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.
As well as offering mobile services to consumers and small and medium businesses, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections.
EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry and has nearly 600 shops across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.
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