UK operator EE hiked its 4G base by 1.7 million subscribers in Q3 to pass a total of 12 million but revenue growth remains more elusive.

The company, which is the subject of a takeover bid by fixed incumbent BT,  had 12.6 million 4G users at the end of September, accounting for 52 per cent of its total mobile customer base.

However, turnover was virtually flat at £1.59 billion, 0.3 per cent down on the same period in 2014. Once the effect of regulation was excluded, underlying operating revenue squeezed up by 1.2 per cent, the company pointed out.

Postpaid, fixed and wholesale revenue growth was offset by a decline in prepaid. Fixed revenue, including broadband, was up 12 per cent year-on-year.

The company did not release a profit figure.

The company also said it had experienced a ‘strong’ take-up of its recently-launched voice-over-Wi-Fi service (VoWi-Fi), which enables users to make calls where network coverage drops. The VoWi-Fi service has 1.7 million users activated.

EE also continues to trial VoLTE. The trials are “extensive, ongoing” to ensure a high quality service at commercial launch. No launch date was given.

EE also talked up new opportunities from the rollout of its 4G network, notably targeting enterprises and M2M. The operator’s B2B base is up 7 per cent, as businesses appreciate the value of faster mobile broadband. Its M2M base is up 12 per cent year-on-year to 2.1 million. The Royal Mail Group was announced as the first major customer of EE Connect, its 4G-based IoT platform.