OXFORD will get 4G phone and mobile internet coverage by the summer, telecom firm EE announced yesterday.

The provider – the only one to currently offer the faster-speed web browsing – said the city will join 26 others across the UK to get 4G by June.

The firm would not give a start date and said existing base stations had been upgraded to offer 4G.

Chief executive officer Olaf Swantee said: “Our business customers want a 4G network that covers the markets in which they operate, and that is exactly what we are building for them – and at a phenomenal rate.”

It wants 98 per cent of the UK covered by the end of 2014. The firm says the technology is about five times faster than 3G for mobiles and dongle devices for mobile internet on computers.

Customers can join EE or will have to upgrade from Orange or T-Mobile for an average £5.

This led to complaints from some customers that they were paying extra for the same amount of data allowed under their 3G contract.