UK mobile network Three has just announced its plans with regard to 4G LTE technology, and it plans to make the necessary upgrades without penalising the customer with price hikes.
Three is already calling its high-end network offering ‘Ultrafast’ in order to push the fact that it’s not significantly slower than current 4G standards. This will naturally receive a boost once its 4G offering comes online, however.
It’s not the speed that marks Three’s LTE offering out, though. It’s price. Aiming a swipe at the rather extortionate sums charged by the only current 4G network in the UK, EE, a Three press release had this to say:
“Unlike some other UK mobile operators, it [4G] will be available across all existing and new price plans without customers needing to pay a premium fee to ‘upgrade.”
So that essentially means 4G speeds at current Three prices – which are already the best in the UK in terms of data allowances.
Three currently covers around 55 per cent of the UK with its DC-HSDPA network, but it has revealed that this will grow to 80 per cent by the end of March. It will then incorporate the 1800MHz spectrum it has acquired for 4G purposes some time in the second half of 2013.
Customers on Three with a 4G-capable device, such as the iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 920, or Sony Xperia Z (to name but three) will be able to take advantage of the network’s 4G capabilities as soon as they come online later in the year.
What do you think of this news? Are you EE customers regretting paying a premium to join the 4G revolution early? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.