UK based Everything Everywhere has announced plans to spend £1.5 billion (US$2.35 billion) over the next three years on upgrading its Orange and T-Mobile branded networks.

Throughout 2012, Everything Everywhere will continue to integrate its two networks. The company is in the final stages of "the big switch on" -- enabling Orange and T-Mobile customers to use 2G and 3G signals from either of the networks.

Over the last year, more than 22 million customers have benefited from the company's network sharing, using 326 billion kilobytes of data, making 1.33 billion calls, talking over 2.8 billion minutes, and sending 5.5 billion texts while using a signal from the alternate network. Customers are also reportedly benefiting from a 20% reduction in dropped calls in localised areas.

In the first half of 2012, Everything Everywhere will further improve the cross-network signal sharing by enabling Orange and T-Mobile customers' devices to automatically select the stronger signal from either network if their own signal is weak. The company will also begin a phased programme to streamline network sites, which will go towards meeting its synergy savings target of £3.5bn NPV by 2014 as committed to in September 2010.

Everything Everywhere is investing in improved equipment which can be upgraded to LTE once the appropriate spectrum becomes available. Everything Everywhere is also making significant investments in its mobile backhaul - the fixed network that connects individual cell sites - and is critical to delivering even faster data speed for customers.

Fotis Karonis, Chief Technical Officer, Everything Everywhere, said: "Everything Everywhere is committed to building a world-class 4G network for Britain. We are devoting huge resources -- including our 15,000 workforce and significant investments in technology -- and already trialling, learning and laying the ground-work so that we are prepared to introduce 4G services as soon as it's feasible."