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For those that are able to connect to 5G red cap on the their watch, it would be useful for others to know if you have a "5G standalone option" under Mobile Service -->Mobile Data options mentioned by Spacer in post #18 above.

If this is a common theme for all those that can connect to 5G, it will allow others that are not currently in a 5G Red cap area to know if their plan has been setup correctly.
Sorry, just to be clear that 5G Standalone that I was talking about is shown in the my EE app, under the watch contract and ‘add ons’. However, I do also have the 5G standalone and voice over 5G standalone as options within mobile data on my iPhone :)
 
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Sorry, just to be clear that 5G Standalone that I was talking about is shown in the my EE app, under the watch contract and ‘add ons’. However, I do also have the 5G standalone and voice over 5G standalone as options within mobile data on my iPhone :)
OK understood - but on your watch under settings --->mobile service - do you see any option for 5G standalone?
 
So; I’ve figured it out!

had my watch moved over to my existing paired watch plan that I’d been using with the UW2, and didn’t have 5G, noticed some plans had 5G standalone on them, and tested this myself, you need to ask customer services to add the “5G standalone SOC” to your watch plan, with an immediate start, once they’ve done that - you’ll get 5G on the watch!



looks like that specific SOC (Product) enables the 5G on the watch/plan!

(Used to work at EE around 10 years ago, so the wording used is one they’ll understand)
 
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So; I’ve figured it out!

had my watch moved over to my existing paired watch plan that I’d been using with the UW2, and didn’t have 5G, noticed some plans had 5G standalone on them, and tested this myself, you need to ask customer services to add the “5G standalone SOC” to your watch plan, with an immediate start, once they’ve done that - you’ll get 5G on the watch!



looks like that specific SOC (Product) enables the 5G on the watch/plan!

(Used to work at EE around 10 years ago, so the wording used is one they’ll understand)
Which options did you pick when calling? I’ve just wasted 30 mins being told they couldn’t add that addon to my watch plan.

Then told I should cancel the plan and start a new one which doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Hate companies that release products and don’t train their staff.
 
Which options did you pick when calling? I’ve just wasted 30 mins being told they couldn’t add that addon to my watch plan.

Then told I should cancel the plan and start a new one which doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Hate companies that release products and don’t train their staff.
Same here. Was advised that he was unable to add the 5G standalone SOC to my watch plan
 
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The challenge is finding someone in EE that can add this to your plan ! I’ve tried twice to get this resolved.
After over an hour and multiple people, I got someone helpful in Wigan, apparently it can only be added at point of sale, he created a new watch plan and I removed the one from my watch and added the new one and now I have 5G.

incoming-6E665620-F7E5-4707-AAAF-6387F8E16027.png
 
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The challenge is finding someone in EE that can add this to your plan ! I’ve tried twice to get this resolved.
Just called EE (Upgrades) and explained I wanted to get the 5GSA add-on for one of my Apple watch numbers. Explained I was doing this in advance of purchase. My account was checked and was eligible for this add-on and the only differences were that it would start as a new concurrent contract and the price reduced slightly - this was for an All-Rounder, SIM only plan, but with EE broadband also associated with the account.

Checked 90 minutes later on the web portal and the 5GSA add-on is now registered against the watch number requested. The "Guide" was very helpful but did need to get some sign-off from a manager, but was knowledgable about 5G add-on's for the watch and what was needed. To your point @ardsar it does not always go like that.

So as we have been discovering, the watch number does need to be provisioned for a 5GSA add-on, that said EE seems to have a wide variety of account profiles and complexities which given the "Guides" normally seek support from a manager makes it harder for the customer to comprehend or navigate.

Now I have to go buy my wife a new S11 Ti!!

Edit: Added 5GSA for clarity
 
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Just called EE (Upgrades) and explained I wanted to get the 5G add-on for one of my Apple watch numbers. Explained I was doing this in advance of purchase. My account was checked and was eligible for this add-on and the only differences were that it would start as a new concurrent contract and the price reduced slightly - this was for an All-Rounder, SIM only plan, but with EE broadband also associated with the account.

Checked 90 minutes later on the web portal and the 5G add-on is now registered against the watch number requested. The "Guide" was very helpful but did need to get some sign-off from a manager, but was knowledgable about 5G for the watch and what was needed. To your point @ardsar it does not always go like that.

So as we have been discovering, the watch number does need to be provisioned for a 5G add-on, that said EE seems to have a wide variety of account profiles and complexities which given the "Guides" normally seek support from a manager makes it harder for the customer to comprehend or navigate.

Now I have to go buy my wife a new S11 Ti!!
Sounds like they did what they did with me and add a new line for the watch with the add-on.
 
Sounds like they did what they did with me and add a new line for the watch with the add-on.c

After over an hour and multiple people, I got someone helpful in Wigan, apparently it can only be added at point of sale, he created a new watch plan and I removed the one from my watch and added the new one and now I have 5G.

View attachment 2562782

Thanks for the tips - this really helped…..

For others _

Phoned again and this time i was connected to someone with more understanding but the key point is to state that you want to add 5G standalone to your plan but this can only be done at point of sale. He first tried to add it to my existing plan - and when i told him that it wasn’t showing under the add ons option he agreed to setup a new plan. 5G standalone is now there.
 
Just to come back with an update.

I've just got off the telephone to EE and explained what had been mentioned in this thread and also what was mentioned on the EE forums and explained that I needed to have the 5G Standalone SOC added.

He asked a few questions and he said he was able to add the 5G standalone onto my Apple Watch data plan.

I can also now see when I log into My EE and select the telephone number associated with my Apple Watch, that there is an extra add-on there (that definitely was not there before the call) called 5G Standalone.

Screenshot 2025-10-02 at 7.33.55 pm.png



Unfortunately I don't live in a 5G Standalone area so I am unable to try it out to see if it definitely is working, but I'll be sure to test it out the next time I am in a 5G Standalone area.

Before the call ended, he asked me to check if the Ultra 3 would connect to 5G (which it did not, and this was what I expected) but I explained to him that I do not live in a 5G Standalone area, and he said that he could not see any reason why I would not now be able to connect on to 5G on the Ultra 3 (when in a 5G Standalone area) as 5G Standalone was definitely now on my Apple Watch's data plan. He also asked me to log into either the My EE app or the website and see if I could see 5G Standalone in the list of add-ons for the Apple Watch, which I could.
 
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Sounds like they did what they did with me and add a new line for the watch with the add-on.

They definitely can add this - they did it on my existing plan for me.

If you get through to someone who’s not very technical, explain you need 5G+ soc or the 5G standalone soc adding, sometimes the standalone is known as 5G+ to some agents
 
I have had the same plan ever since AW3 and transferred it every year. Just spoken to EE and they had to cancel my existing plan and move me to the new 5G plan. My plan now shows 5G standalone
 
They definitely can add this - they did it on my existing plan for me.

If you get through to someone who’s not very technical, explain you need 5G+ soc or the 5G standalone soc adding, sometimes the standalone is known as 5G+ to some agents
I’m sure they can, but after wasting 2 hours and talking to at least 3 different people, I’d rather just go through the cancel and new plan routine.
 
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