EE launches world's fastest 4G network up to 300mbps Operator EE's basic 4G network speeds range between 24 and 30Mbps The new network, launched in East London, can reach speeds of 300Mbps This means Blu-ray videos, for example, could be downloaded in seconds EE's network runs on the world's first CAT 6 router made by Huawei The technology is expected to roll out to handsets by the end of 2014 Mobile operator EE has switched on the world's fastest 4G network in East London today, capable of reaching speeds of up to 300Mbps. The technology is being trialled in East London before being rolled out further next year and is ten times faster than basic 4G speeds currently being offered. The company has faced stiff competition recently from O2 and Vodafone after the rival operators switched on their respective 4G services - a stronghold EE held for almost a year. EE's new network has launched in London and can reach speeds of 300Mbps - its basic 4G speeds currently range from 24 to 30Mbps. Further expansion plans have not been announced but EE said the technology is due to become 'commercially available when compatible devices launch from mid-2014' The new speeds, in theory, mean Blu-ray and high-definition videos can be downloaded in seconds and won't buffer during playback. Webpages should also load instantly. The technology will make streaming content online, such as on the BBC iPlayer, up to four times faster than current speeds and users will be able to share higher-resolution, larger pictures and videos quicker. EE was the first operator to launch a 4G network in the UK in October 2012, followed by O2 and Vodafone earlier this year. EE's basic 4G speeds range between 24 and 30Mpbs. Following the 4G announcements from O2 and Vodafone, EE said it would be offering double speeds to its customers in certain areas - raising its top speed to 60Mbps. The latest network peaks at 300Mbps and runs on LTE-Advanced technology through the world's first CAT 6 Huawei router. The router can offer superfast speeds to up to twenty phones, tablets and other devices. EE, which was formed from the merger of Orange and T-Mobile, was the first company to offer a 4G network in the UK. EE held the monopoly on the network because regulator Ofcom gave it permission to use existing spectrum (1800MHz) that it already owned. Ofcom then held an auction for companies to bid to use other parts of the spectrum from 800MhZ to 2.6GHz. O2 purchased 800MHz lots and Vodafone won both 800MHz and 2.6GHz lots. For the typical user, download speeds of initial 4G networks should be at least five to seven times faster than those of existing 3G networks. In July, EE announced it was doubling its 4G speeds for people in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. The speed boost makes the network twice as fast as current average 4G speeds and 10 times as fast as 3G. Vodafone and O2 both switched on their respective networks at the end of August. Mobile network Three has kicked off a price war earlier this week over the new 4G service by announcing it will offer the super high-speed internet at no extra cost. The firm's 1.5million customers will get 4G at the same price they pay for the current 3G network, with packages of calls, texts and unlimited internet from £15 a month. The Three deal will start mid-December, cashing in on Christmas handset sales. As with all mobile and broadband contracts, these speeds are called "optimal" and come with the caveat of "up to." The speeds shown are the greatest possible speeds available on that network, but realistically customers won't be able to reach these. What it does mean is that even if customers are getting a proportional speed boost on a network such as the one launched by EE today, the boost will still be higher than on other networks. The EE 300Mbps 4G network covers Tech City from launch, but EE said it will be rolled out across London throughout 2014. Further expansion plans have not been announced but EE said the technology is due to become "commercially available when compatible devices launch from mid-2014." The latest EE network peaks at 300Mbps and runs on LTE-Advanced technology through the world's first CAT 6 Huawei router. EE recently celebrated it first birthday. The network has over 1.2million 4G customers and covers 131 towns and cities - approximately 60 per cent of the population It is expected the first Huwaei mobile Wi-Fi units will launch by the summer 2014, for example, with handsets featuring the technology due by the fourth quarter. EE CEO Olaf Swantee said: 'Our existing 4G network delivers incredible mobile data speeds and covers millions of people across the country, but we never stand still. Our analysts predict that data usage will grow significantly over the next three years. In fact, our trend-mapping shows that data usage is set to rise by 750 per cent in that period, as consumers and companies conduct more of their business and lives on-line. 'The network we're switching on in Tech City uses the spectrum we acquired in the Ofcom spectrum auction earlier this year, and is the first part of an infrastructure that can meet the future demands of an increasingly data-hungry nation, enabling us to stay one-step ahead of the demand.' The network has over 1.2million 4G customers and covers 131 towns and cities - approximately 60 per cent of the population.