A superfast 4G service for mobile phones will be launched in Southampton today.

Southampton is one of the first 11 cities to be included in UK’s first ever 4G network.

Everything Everywhere (EE), the UK’s largest mobile network, which owns the T-Mobile and Orange networks, said its new 4G service will offer speeds of up to five times the existing 3G technology.

Small-business price plans on new 4G service will start at £35 a month for unlimited calls and texts. Consumer plans will start from £36 a month. A 4G fibre broadband service for home and office use will also be launched.

Store manager Hayley Glyn-Jones said she was “hugely excited” and said customers would be able to access the Internet at “phenomenal speeds”.

Martin Stiven, vice president of business to business at EE, previously told the Echo it was going to be “transformational in the way a lot of businesses work”, creating new opportunities, improved efficiency and productivity.

EE is investing £5.8m in its network in the region.

All four Orange and T-Mobile stores in Southampton will also have a full store refurbishment to become EE stores from today. EE aims to roll out 4G to 98 per cent of the UK population by 2014.