MSE News: EE reveals 4G prices... which aren't cheap

cgk1

There are no 4G contracts on either Orange or T-mobile.

frostyinfinity

Hi,

new recruit (to forum); thought I'd share what I was told yesterday via @EE twitter support.

I upgraded to a new iPhone5 2 weeks ago (i.e. before the EE launch date was finalised). I have been informed that I can switch to 4GEE without penalty, as long as I sign up for the same contract - 24 months.

The problem is getting through to Customer Services (tried for 30 mins yesterday then gave up); the other consideration is that I am on the Full Monty £61 per month, but this is discounted by 50% on Friends and Relations deal. I have yet to find out if F&R available on 4GEE (if not I won't bother).
Hope this helps the debate.

poppy10_2

RichStubbs wrote: »

the data on 4G uses the same amount of data as if you were on 3G...just does it quicker. For example, if you watch a 50MB YouTube video it will use 50MB on both 3G, 4G and wi-fi. The only difference is that using the wi-fi and 4G options you will have finished watching the video sooner..

That doesn't even make sense. You're saying the video is speeded up when watching on 4G? Don't be ridiculous.

And watching the same youtube video may well use up more data on a 4G connection than on a 3G one. Youtube has adaptive data streaming and will serve up a higher quality video if you have a fast connection, and a pixelated low-bandwidth version if your connection is slower.

jayme1

If anyone joins EE for LTE just for my own curiosity would you mind doing a test to see if the network is running IPv6, you can do this just by visiting either:
http://test-ipv6.com/ or http://ipv6test.google.com/

If I were to guess I suspect it will be fully IPv6 enabled.

M4RKM

NFH wrote: »

I think I've realised why the SIM-only prices on EE's web site are so expensive (£21, £26, £31, £36). They are not true SIM-only prices, because they also apply to people who are locked into an existing 24-month iPhone 5 contract with Orange or T-Mobile. Therefore these charges need to be high enough to recoup the subsidy given by Orange or T-Mobile on the iPhone 5. EE really ought to have additional lower truly SIM-only prices if they want to attract, for example, those who bought their iPhone 5 directly from Apple at full price. These people don't want to be paying back a subsidy that they didn't receive.

This above is totally incorrect. The 12 Month Sim Only Plans that were on the website (21 - 36) are for people who do have a phone, and are not locked into any contract. These ARE true SIM only plans.

If you have a contract and want to move over, you WILL NOT pay these prices.

M

chris1973

Yet another over-hyped technology in the market place.

Sure 4G will be fast to start with, just like 3G was when it was first rolled out. Upgraded and new network speeds are like a newly opened motorway, when you are the first on it, you motor happily along with no other traffic and no gridlock.

Then word spreads, and everybody else wants to have a go on it, suddenly that wide, fast open road which you had virtually to yourself becomes a bottleneck and gridlock sets in. The same basics apply here.

3G was also great at first, then masts began to get congested, and some providers implemented traffic shaping or peak time throttling, now that previously wonderful fast network, delivers 512k speeds to some, and a few barely get more than dial up - read the 3G and Mobile forums!

Lets face it, if 4G eventually does get lots of subscribers, how long do you think it will be before the service providers begin to follow the 3G and landline protocols and begin introducing traffic shaping or throttling? or masts in urban areas become congested. Basically *if* this does happen, effectively you may only get similar speeds as you got on 3G and be paying a far higher subscription every month for the privilege !.

500MB & 1GB a month is an embarrassment for a high speed network, if you only use that amount of data every month, you certainly won't be streaming netflix or catch up TV, and so you won't benefit from the higher speeds. Ok, so you can update facebook milliseconds faster than you did on 3G - big deal, what else are you going to do with that fraction of a second that you saved? - take a holiday perhaps or re-decorate the bedroom?

I notice that the average amount of data used in a month by the average subscriber is reported to be only around 400mb to 1GB, well if this is the case and the norm for the MAJORITY of users then what exactly has any network got to lose by routinely offering unlimited or healthy monthly data caps?. This majority of network users won't change their mobile internet browsing habits overnight, so why the strictly enforced caps?.

So If the majority of mobile internet users really are, by their nature, such frugal monthly data users, then there shouldn't be any need for any data cap whatsoever!.

Its also worth noting that some areas haven't even got 3G yet, large areas of Wales being one example. Perhaps they should finish rolling out one technology before embarking on another.

Ultimately, this is a new network, and nobody knows how it will pan out or cope when the Sheeple do their usual bandwagon jumping, and for that reason i'll pass and let somebody else lock themselves into a long expensive contract.

freyal

M4RKM wrote: »

This above is totally incorrect. The 12 Month Sim Only Plans that were on the website (21 - 36) are for people who do have a phone, and are not locked into any contract. These ARE true SIM only plans.

If you have a contract and want to move over, you WILL NOT pay these prices.

M

Just noticed this hasn't been updated for a while. M4RKM is still right though, it is cheaper to buy a 4G phone then switch over or go sim only at the moment.

There's also a third party breakdown of the tariff guide (a bit easier to understand than EE's) at Store 4G if like me you find EE's site utterly appalling to navigate.

Also, Chris, chill out, it's nearly Christmas