17 September 2013

The Battle over 4G Begins




The battle to attract customers to use new 4G mobile networks stepped up a notch today, as Vodafone and O2 both launched their versions of the service and Three said it would provide it for free to those prepared to wait for its offering to start in December.

 
Rival firm EE got a jump on the competition when they launched their “super-fast” 4G service in the UK last October, and are reported to be winning “hands down” when it comes to coverage.

But the other networks are now catching up,

O2 switching on the service for up to five million people in London, Leeds and Bradford, they also spent £550 million to stake its own claim to the lowest proportion of the spectrum.


Vodafone launched in parts of the capital.

Both say they plan to ultimately provide coverage to 98 per cent of the population, and by the end of this year they say they will be bringing 4G to London, Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Vodafone said 4G – the so-called “fourth generation” of networks – will be able to provide data to smartphone users at a rate around six times faster than the current 3G services.
The company paid £802 million to secure the necessary mobile phone frequencies


Meanwhile, for those willing to wait until its service launches in December, mobile network Three said its customers would be offered 4G across all of its price plans – meaning no premium charges like those levied by its competitors.

Its said that while current pricing rates look pretty similar across the board, some consumers may now choose to “play the waiting game” to take advantage of Three's service when it launches at the end of the year in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

 

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