4G mobile broadband speeds 'doubling', says EE

Speeds are expected to be up to seven times faster than 3G

Faster speeds for the latest version of mobile technology are being made available in several UK cities.

EE, owner of Orange and T-Mobile, says its fourth generation (4G) broadband speeds should double to more than 20Mbps.

The faster services will be available in 10 cities where 4G has been introduced including Cardiff, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

But some experts have warned bills for data could soar with faster browsing.

Average speeds on the EE network currently range between 8Mbps and 12Mbps but this should rise to more than 20Mbps.

Since launching 4G in 2012, EE said it had seen a "huge shift" in the way people used mobile phones.

This included an increase in the number of consumers using video, maps and sat-nav tools.

EE said the faster speeds would allow people to upload or download pictures in high definition with greater resolution and view and share videos without delay while on the move.

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at comparison site uSwitch.com, said with speeds now seven times faster than 3G, it could convince more mobile users to move to 4G.

But he added that the new speeds could be a "double-edged sword" for mobile users worried that their data bills could soar with faster browsing.

The 10 cities where 4G speeds will be doubled by EE include Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield.

The service is now available in 50 towns and cities across the UK, and was recently extended to the rural Northern Fells in Cumbria.

EE was the first company to offer a 4G network in the UK and others are expected to follow suit in the coming months.