EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator, said that its 4G/LTE service is now available to three-quarters of the country’s population.

A total of 263 major towns and cities and more than 2,500 villages and small towns are now covered, with 13 new towns (with a combined population of 300,000 people) added this week.

“4G is now a well-known and well understood technology, with businesses and communities increasingly demanding 4G coverage because they see the significant economic benefit,” commented Olaf Swantee, EE CEO.

The newly-covered towns are Buckingham, Burntwood, Chesham, Chesterfield, Dalkeith (Scotland), Glossop, Hertford, Rugeley, Sheerness, Thornaby-on-Tees, Ware, Wickford and Witney.

EE has been able to build up a healthy lead in LTE coverage and customer numbers after launching the technology ahead of rivals Vodafone, O2 and 3 UK, in October 2012.

The other three UK operators had to wait until February 2013 to secure suitable spectrum.

In May this year, Swantee said EE had reached a tipping point with more customers taking 4G contracts than those for 3G.

Shortly after, EE claimed the best quarterly 4G performance ever recorded by a European operator with 1.3 million new LTE customers during Q2.