MSE News: UK's first 4G mobile network sets launch date

Former_MSE_Helen

"Superfast mobile internet will arrive in the UK at the end of this month, but only for EE customers ..."

Read the full story:

UK's first 4G mobile network sets launch date

Tony5101

They're still being very quiet about their price plans though...

[Deleted User]

Tony5101 wrote: »

They're still being very quiet about their price plans though...

T-mobile have their price plans for 4G mobiles on the website already

edit - tell a lie, you'll need to move to the 'EE' network and change prices - http://ee.co.uk/movetoee

MillicentBystander

You don't have to be Stephen Hawking to work out that 4G first adopters will get stung with huge monthly prices but that has always been the way because the companies know these are the people who don't mind being fleeced. I'm giving it 6 months minimum before even thinking about it.

d123

I agree, and realistically, how many users really need data speeds in excess of the 5-10Mbps we are now seeing with some newer phones like the iPhone 5 on HSPA+ (and getting faster with DC-HSDPA) of 3G?

rogerblack

In principle, it might allow not just faster transfer - which as raised above - is possibly questionable, but also more overall bandwidth to be shared amongst all users.
This can mean that prices could drop for 'unlimited' plans.
(neglecting the upfront spectrum cost)

Handsome90

d123 wrote: »

I agree, and realistically, how many users really need data speeds in excess of the 5-10Mbps we are now seeing with some newer phones like the iPhone 5 on HSPA+ (and getting faster with DC-HSDPA) of 3G?

That's true. However, the 3G spectrum is so congested that many people don't achieve speeds over 3 mbps. A few moments back I measured my 3G internet speed and it was a little less than 2 mbps (more than enough for browsing) but a bit slow for streaming. I couldn't even make out the BBC logo when streaming a video from BBC iPlayer.

By the way, I was using O2 network. I heard Three is much faster!

diamonds

O2 3G, shockingly poor & just missed Ofcom revoking their 3G licence.

4G on EE, given what they have done to Orange Broadband & Mobile customers lately they excluded alot of first time adopters from EE's own companies lol

im-lost

Its not going to make much of a difference in reality.. not on phones anyway.

Until someone steps up and offers an unlimited plan or a fairly high download limit to compete against fixed line broadband.. that's where the benefit of 4G will come in to its own. although saying that HSPA or HSPA+ does a decent enough job already and is a great alternative to a fixed line broadband, its just the limits that need increasing..

Im sure it wont be long until you can go completely wireless, I can see 'mobile broadband' and voip services becoming the norm in households across the UK, and it replacing the old dinosaur that is the landline..

chattychappy

When T-Mobile and Orange merged, my local T-Mobile transmitter got turned off. So despite promises of a better network, I suffered a drop in connectivity. Often unobtainable for normal calls, no 3G. This is despite being just 10 miles from the centre of London. I sometimes get urgent calls on my foreign mobile since it roams in the UK and can switch to any UK network.

These days I just care more about the robustness of the network. I don't want my texts delayed. I don't want to miss calls. I want data reliable enough to receive emails when they arrive.

That goes for phones to. Had a Samsung Galaxy S2 and got the stupid echo problem. A previous HTC was rather quiet - you couldn't hear the caller in noisy environments. My ancient Nokias were more reliable for calls.

Smarter smart phones and faster data are icing on the cake. But I do see the cake as being more important than the icing.

rogerblack

im-lost wrote: »

Its not going to make much of a difference in reality.. not on phones anyway.

Until someone steps up and offers an unlimited plan or a fairly high download limit to compete against fixed line broadband..

There are unfortunate physical realities.

The amount of bandwidth available for fixed line broadband is largely unrelated to terrain, and other factors.
If you have a thousand flats in a small area, there are a thousand phonelines going to them.

They all share the same radio spectrum however, and interfere with each other.
The basestation has a finite capacity due to the technology and bandwidth, it does not take many people maxing out their connection to clog it.