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GUIDE: What is 4G? How do i get it?
GUIDE: What is 4G? How do i get it?
4G is a new type of technology that was introduced to the UK last year. It is also known as LTE (Long Term Evolution). 4G brings improved internet speeds and connectivity to the UK Mobile networks. 4G LTE can reach speeds of up to 100Mbps!!! However, realistically speaking you are more likely to see 4G speeds of around 20-40Mbps at the moment which is as fast as the average fibre broadband connection. So to sum up, 4G allows you to browse, download, stream and upload much faster than on 3G. It's great for those who love to use the internet on their mobile devices.
To put this into perspective, all networks today run on a technology called 3G which provides average speeds of around 2-6Mbps. Some networks have started rolling out faster 3G networks which can support speeds up to 6-12Mbps on average. Therefore 4G is a massive leap in technology and will allow you to download/browse/stream up to 5x faster.
Obviously as 4G is a new technology, it's not everywhere just yet. It will take a while to roll out to the whole of the UK and will start rolling out in Major Cities and towns first.
Here is a list of networks that support 4G or will support 4G in the summer:
You can get 4G contracts with phones, just SIM Only and data only as well.
T-Mobile & Orange will not support 4G. You will need to upgrade to the new EE 4G network which launched last year. Or you can move to any other network listed below that will support 4G
EE- 4G launch in October 2012
EE were allowed to use some of the spectrum they already owned to launch 4G early last year. As of now 4G covers 70% of the country and is available in over 150 towns and cities and EE is already far ahead of the other networks in terms of coverage. EE have also launched double speed 4G in a number of major cities and are considered one of the best 4G networks at the moment (and the most expensive)
If you already have a 4G compatible phone on T-Mobile or Orange then you can swap to a 4G contract free of charge. But you will have to sign up to a new 18/24 month price plan at the pricing below. If you don't have a 4G ready phone you can upgrade to a 4GEE plan by paying off your current contract with a 33% discount.
For new or upgrading customers, EE offer unlimited minutes and texts on all their plans. You just pay for the 4G data allowance you want. There may be an upfront cost and this will vary depending on the phone and tariff you select. EE do two types of tariffs, their "4GEE" tariffs start at £18.99 for 500mb of data. Please note that 4GEE plans are capped at 30Mbps download Speed. EE also offer "4GEE EXTRA" plans which offer uncapped double speed 4G, free international roaming from £26.99pm with 4GB data. EE offer up to 20GB Data on contracts. All EE plans come with EE Film (Orange Wednesdays).
EE also offer sim only contracts with 500mb from £21pm. EE have been criticised for being expensive, especially since it's own t-mobile brand offer unlimited texts/data/calls for £21pm on 3G, yet EE4G charge more than twice that amount for less (8GB) data,
To Sum up: EE can offer 4G now on the price plans above, they also have the most coverage due to their early launch and aggressive roll out. They do good deals if you want to upgrade from Orange/T-mobile to a 4G phone.
O2- August 29th 2013
O2 launched thier 4G network on August 29th 2013 in London, Leeds and Bradford. O2 currently have 4G in over 13 cities around the UK.
Prices will start from £21pm on SIM only and £26pm with a phone. If you're an existing customer with a 4G ready phone you can upgrade to a 4G plan during your contract term as long as you sign up to a 4G ready tariff. This may be at a higher cost but this does not extend your contract period.
If you are a new customer you can sign up to one of O2's new refresh tariffs today with a 4G phone and start using 4G in the roll out locations. Prices start at £21pm + phone cost per month and give you up to 8GB of data on the highest cost tariff. O2 plan to have 98% coverage by the end of 2015.
However, if you have an iPhone 5 then you cannot get 4G on O2. You need to pay off your contract and upgrade to a 4G phone. O2 have promised a 25% discount off the cancellation fee for iPhone 5 customers. who want 4G.
Tesco Mobile
O2's MVNO, Tesco Mobile have also launched 4G using O2's network. Their offer is a lot better than O2's as 4G access is standard with every tariff. That means you don't need to pay any extra to access 4G with your tesco mobile price plan. You can add up to 8GB of data on top of your current plan. Just make sure you have a 4G phone.
Make sure to check 4G is in your area.
To sum up: O2 will charge extra for 4G, Prices will start from £21pm on a sim only and higher if you want a 4G contract phone. If you have a 4G phone already then you can upgrade to a higher cost 4G tariff with the same phone and not have to renew your contract.
Vodafone- August 29th
Vodafone also launched their 4G network this year and now have 15 cities nationwide covered. If you're an existing Vodafone customer and have a 4G ready phone then you need to buy a £5 bolt on to access 4G.
If you're a new customer you can sign up to any one of Vodafones new 4G tariffs starting from £34pm. This will give you 4G data on your smartphone. Vodafone's max data tariff is 9GB.
Vodafone are offering free sky sports or spotify for the first 6/12/24 months of the new 4G contract. Prices are quite high for Vodafones tariffs though. But if you regularly use spotify or sky sports then it's worth looking into. This also applies to SIM only plans which start at £26pm.
However, Vodafone's price promise is great. If you have a non 4G phone such as an iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 or Note 2 then you can upgrade to a 4G compatible phone by buying out your contract with a 70% discount. That beats O2's 25% discount and EE's 33% discount for existing customers easily. The only restrictions are that you must have those phones. Otherwise, just like O2 customers you will have to buy out your contract without any discount to upgrade to a 4G phone.
Make sure to check if 4G is available in your area. So far it is just in 15 cities.
To sum up: If you're an existing customer you can pay £5 extra to get 4G on your tariff. If you're a new customer just sign up to the new 4G plans.
Three- December 2013
Three have shocked everyone with their plans to not charge for 4G access. As long as you are a Three customer you will get 4G acess on your contract free of charge. Obviously you will need a 4G compatible handset to access the 4G network but this hands down beats any 4G price promise or pricing from the other UK networks.
One plus about Three is that they are keeping their unlimited data proposition and are the only UK network which has stated unlimited data will be available on all price plans with the 4G phones. Three currently have one of the largest and fastest 3G networks.
At the moment Three offer a number of 4G phones from £26pm with unlimited data. So if you sign up with a 4G phone with Three you will not need to pay a bolt like Vodafone customers. You will get 4G included in the price plan like EE customers. Three is currently the cheapest for 4G and their unlimited data tariffs blow away the competition. Especially their sim only tariffs which start from £12.90pm with unlimited data.
If you're an existing customer then its not long before Three will launch 4G. 4G launches this December on Three in London, Manchester & Birmingham. The initial launch will be limited to a few thousand customers with the full launch for all customers ramping up in the new year. It will roll out to over 50 cities by the end of 2014 and have 98% population coverage by the end of 2015. You will get a software update on your phone before the end of February 2014 to enable 4G on your phone.
To Sum up: Three will not charge for 4G. They will also offer unlimited data. You can sign up for a 4G phone/tariff now and get 4G for no extra cost once it launches
Do i need 4G?
If you don't use data on your smartphone then forget about 4G. If you're a medium to heavy data user then these points should help you consider whether or not 4G is for you.
-Coverage
At the moment 4G will benefit you if you live in a 4G enabled area. EE have the most amount of 4G coverage at the moment across 70% of the UK and in 150 towns and cities in the UK. Vodafone and O2 have around 13 cities live, and Three currently have 3 cities 4G ready. If you are on a 4G tariff in a non 4G area you will drop down to 3G. If you live in a rural part of the UK or a non major town/city it may take up to two years for 4G to reach you. Look on your operators website to see when you'll get 4G. If you don't have 4G in your area/work then it's not for you just yet and not worth the price increase.
As mentioned above, coverage is limited on O2, Voda and Three due to the fact they have just started rolling out. Every network should have 90% coverage plus by mid 2015.
-Speed:
In the UK 4G can reach speeds of up to 100Mbps download and 50mbps upload. In real life you're likely to see under half these speeds (20-40mbps dl, 10-20mbps ul). This means you can download/stream files & videos faster or browse the internet faster when in a 4G area. Also ping times will be improved so buffering during or before videos can be almost non existent. If you already have a fast 3G connection you won't notice a huge difference between the two but there are some perks like the faster upload speed, for uploading pictures and lower ping times for online gaming/streaming videos which may benefit you.
EE have just launched double speed 4G in around 20 cities, this allows for slightly faster speeds. You need to sign up to a 4GEE EXTRA plan to take advantage of this.
-Price:
At the moment 4G is being launched at a premium on EE, O2 and Vodafone. If you're happy paying what you're paying at the moment then 4G prices may look very expensive. Especially when T-Mobile and Three can offer unlimited data from under £26pm with a contract phone, yet EE4G want over £50pm for a limited data cap of 10GB. Therefore, unless you really need 4G it's not worth it just yet to go for a 4G phone. Prices should come down soon though. In fact Three, as mentioned above, will not charge extra for 4G so it may be worth looking at their tariffs.
-Other
4G can bring benefits to those who use mobile broadband on the go. Faster download speeds means you can work more effeciently on a 4G connection on the go than compared to a 3G connection. Another advantage of 4G is that it works on a lower frequency to 3G so should be able to penetrate buildings better. So if you live in an area that has low 3G signal indoors, you should be able to get a stronger 4G signal when it rolls out to you. Networks should be launching something called Voice over LTE within the next two years which will allow you to make phone calls over the 4G network. This will benefit a lot of people who don't have a good 3G connection indoors.
What handsets support 4G in the UK?
iPhone 5 (will not work on O2 or Vodafone)
iPhone 5S
iPhone 5C
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE (i9305)*
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (N7105)*
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 LTE
HTC One XL (EE and Three only)
HTC One SV
HTC ONE
HTC ONE Mini
Sony Xperia SP
Sony Xperia Z
Sony Xperia Z1
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
LG Optimus G
LG G2
Moto X
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE
Huawei Ascend P2
Blackberry Z10
Blackberry Z30
Blackberry Q10
Blackberry Q5
Nokia Lumia 925
Nokia Lumia 625
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 820 LTE
*The Galaxy S3/Note 2 LTE are different variants from the the S3 and Note 2 that was originally sold and still sold today. Check the model number of your phone to see if your phone is 4G compatible.
If you do not have the above handsets then you will not get 4G access on your phone. (Please not some handsets may be missing from this list). If your phone is not listed here please post in the thread or check with your manufacturer.
No network will offer unlimited data on their network due to the costs involved of launching a 4G Network. Only Three will offer unlimited data on their 4G network.
Why doesn't the iPhone 5 work on O2/Vodafone?
It's purely down to the hardware that the iPhone 5 uses. In the UK each network uses a certain frequency to broadcast a 4G signal. The iPhone 5 hardware only supports one frequency (1800Mhz). And there are three frequencies being used in the UK (800Mhz, 1800Mhz, 2600Mhz)
Think of 4G in the UK like a motorway.
3 lanes, 3 frequencies
Lane 1= 800Mhz
Lane 2= 1800Mhz
Lane 3= 2600Mhz
Vodafone uses lane 1 and 3 for their 4G network, O2 use Lane 1, Three use Lane 1 and 2 and EE use all 3 lanes.
The iPhone 5 only works on lane 2 frequency (1800Mhz) and so won't work on Vodafone or O2 because they don't have access to this frequency. The iPhone 5 doesn't support the other two frequencies/lanes due to the fact it came out last year before the UK had 4G.
All new 4G phones in the UK should work on all networks and frequencies. The New iPhone 5C and 5S work on O2/Vodafone 4G.
4G is a new type of technology that was introduced to the UK last year. It is also known as LTE (Long Term Evolution). 4G brings improved internet speeds and connectivity to the UK Mobile networks. 4G LTE can reach speeds of up to 100Mbps!!! However, realistically speaking you are more likely to see 4G speeds of around 20-40Mbps at the moment which is as fast as the average fibre broadband connection. So to sum up, 4G allows you to browse, download, stream and upload much faster than on 3G. It's great for those who love to use the internet on their mobile devices.
To put this into perspective, all networks today run on a technology called 3G which provides average speeds of around 2-6Mbps. Some networks have started rolling out faster 3G networks which can support speeds up to 6-12Mbps on average. Therefore 4G is a massive leap in technology and will allow you to download/browse/stream up to 5x faster.
Obviously as 4G is a new technology, it's not everywhere just yet. It will take a while to roll out to the whole of the UK and will start rolling out in Major Cities and towns first.
Here is a list of networks that support 4G or will support 4G in the summer:
You can get 4G contracts with phones, just SIM Only and data only as well.
T-Mobile & Orange will not support 4G. You will need to upgrade to the new EE 4G network which launched last year. Or you can move to any other network listed below that will support 4G
EE- 4G launch in October 2012
EE were allowed to use some of the spectrum they already owned to launch 4G early last year. As of now 4G covers 70% of the country and is available in over 150 towns and cities and EE is already far ahead of the other networks in terms of coverage. EE have also launched double speed 4G in a number of major cities and are considered one of the best 4G networks at the moment (and the most expensive)
If you already have a 4G compatible phone on T-Mobile or Orange then you can swap to a 4G contract free of charge. But you will have to sign up to a new 18/24 month price plan at the pricing below. If you don't have a 4G ready phone you can upgrade to a 4GEE plan by paying off your current contract with a 33% discount.
For new or upgrading customers, EE offer unlimited minutes and texts on all their plans. You just pay for the 4G data allowance you want. There may be an upfront cost and this will vary depending on the phone and tariff you select. EE do two types of tariffs, their "4GEE" tariffs start at £18.99 for 500mb of data. Please note that 4GEE plans are capped at 30Mbps download Speed. EE also offer "4GEE EXTRA" plans which offer uncapped double speed 4G, free international roaming from £26.99pm with 4GB data. EE offer up to 20GB Data on contracts. All EE plans come with EE Film (Orange Wednesdays).
EE also offer sim only contracts with 500mb from £21pm. EE have been criticised for being expensive, especially since it's own t-mobile brand offer unlimited texts/data/calls for £21pm on 3G, yet EE4G charge more than twice that amount for less (8GB) data,
To Sum up: EE can offer 4G now on the price plans above, they also have the most coverage due to their early launch and aggressive roll out. They do good deals if you want to upgrade from Orange/T-mobile to a 4G phone.
O2- August 29th 2013
O2 launched thier 4G network on August 29th 2013 in London, Leeds and Bradford. O2 currently have 4G in over 13 cities around the UK.
Prices will start from £21pm on SIM only and £26pm with a phone. If you're an existing customer with a 4G ready phone you can upgrade to a 4G plan during your contract term as long as you sign up to a 4G ready tariff. This may be at a higher cost but this does not extend your contract period.
If you are a new customer you can sign up to one of O2's new refresh tariffs today with a 4G phone and start using 4G in the roll out locations. Prices start at £21pm + phone cost per month and give you up to 8GB of data on the highest cost tariff. O2 plan to have 98% coverage by the end of 2015.
However, if you have an iPhone 5 then you cannot get 4G on O2. You need to pay off your contract and upgrade to a 4G phone. O2 have promised a 25% discount off the cancellation fee for iPhone 5 customers. who want 4G.
Tesco Mobile
O2's MVNO, Tesco Mobile have also launched 4G using O2's network. Their offer is a lot better than O2's as 4G access is standard with every tariff. That means you don't need to pay any extra to access 4G with your tesco mobile price plan. You can add up to 8GB of data on top of your current plan. Just make sure you have a 4G phone.
Make sure to check 4G is in your area.
To sum up: O2 will charge extra for 4G, Prices will start from £21pm on a sim only and higher if you want a 4G contract phone. If you have a 4G phone already then you can upgrade to a higher cost 4G tariff with the same phone and not have to renew your contract.
Vodafone- August 29th
Vodafone also launched their 4G network this year and now have 15 cities nationwide covered. If you're an existing Vodafone customer and have a 4G ready phone then you need to buy a £5 bolt on to access 4G.
If you're a new customer you can sign up to any one of Vodafones new 4G tariffs starting from £34pm. This will give you 4G data on your smartphone. Vodafone's max data tariff is 9GB.
Vodafone are offering free sky sports or spotify for the first 6/12/24 months of the new 4G contract. Prices are quite high for Vodafones tariffs though. But if you regularly use spotify or sky sports then it's worth looking into. This also applies to SIM only plans which start at £26pm.
However, Vodafone's price promise is great. If you have a non 4G phone such as an iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 or Note 2 then you can upgrade to a 4G compatible phone by buying out your contract with a 70% discount. That beats O2's 25% discount and EE's 33% discount for existing customers easily. The only restrictions are that you must have those phones. Otherwise, just like O2 customers you will have to buy out your contract without any discount to upgrade to a 4G phone.
Make sure to check if 4G is available in your area. So far it is just in 15 cities.
To sum up: If you're an existing customer you can pay £5 extra to get 4G on your tariff. If you're a new customer just sign up to the new 4G plans.
Three- December 2013
Three have shocked everyone with their plans to not charge for 4G access. As long as you are a Three customer you will get 4G acess on your contract free of charge. Obviously you will need a 4G compatible handset to access the 4G network but this hands down beats any 4G price promise or pricing from the other UK networks.
One plus about Three is that they are keeping their unlimited data proposition and are the only UK network which has stated unlimited data will be available on all price plans with the 4G phones. Three currently have one of the largest and fastest 3G networks.
At the moment Three offer a number of 4G phones from £26pm with unlimited data. So if you sign up with a 4G phone with Three you will not need to pay a bolt like Vodafone customers. You will get 4G included in the price plan like EE customers. Three is currently the cheapest for 4G and their unlimited data tariffs blow away the competition. Especially their sim only tariffs which start from £12.90pm with unlimited data.
If you're an existing customer then its not long before Three will launch 4G. 4G launches this December on Three in London, Manchester & Birmingham. The initial launch will be limited to a few thousand customers with the full launch for all customers ramping up in the new year. It will roll out to over 50 cities by the end of 2014 and have 98% population coverage by the end of 2015. You will get a software update on your phone before the end of February 2014 to enable 4G on your phone.
To Sum up: Three will not charge for 4G. They will also offer unlimited data. You can sign up for a 4G phone/tariff now and get 4G for no extra cost once it launches
Do i need 4G?
If you don't use data on your smartphone then forget about 4G. If you're a medium to heavy data user then these points should help you consider whether or not 4G is for you.
-Coverage
At the moment 4G will benefit you if you live in a 4G enabled area. EE have the most amount of 4G coverage at the moment across 70% of the UK and in 150 towns and cities in the UK. Vodafone and O2 have around 13 cities live, and Three currently have 3 cities 4G ready. If you are on a 4G tariff in a non 4G area you will drop down to 3G. If you live in a rural part of the UK or a non major town/city it may take up to two years for 4G to reach you. Look on your operators website to see when you'll get 4G. If you don't have 4G in your area/work then it's not for you just yet and not worth the price increase.
As mentioned above, coverage is limited on O2, Voda and Three due to the fact they have just started rolling out. Every network should have 90% coverage plus by mid 2015.
-Speed:
In the UK 4G can reach speeds of up to 100Mbps download and 50mbps upload. In real life you're likely to see under half these speeds (20-40mbps dl, 10-20mbps ul). This means you can download/stream files & videos faster or browse the internet faster when in a 4G area. Also ping times will be improved so buffering during or before videos can be almost non existent. If you already have a fast 3G connection you won't notice a huge difference between the two but there are some perks like the faster upload speed, for uploading pictures and lower ping times for online gaming/streaming videos which may benefit you.
EE have just launched double speed 4G in around 20 cities, this allows for slightly faster speeds. You need to sign up to a 4GEE EXTRA plan to take advantage of this.
-Price:
At the moment 4G is being launched at a premium on EE, O2 and Vodafone. If you're happy paying what you're paying at the moment then 4G prices may look very expensive. Especially when T-Mobile and Three can offer unlimited data from under £26pm with a contract phone, yet EE4G want over £50pm for a limited data cap of 10GB. Therefore, unless you really need 4G it's not worth it just yet to go for a 4G phone. Prices should come down soon though. In fact Three, as mentioned above, will not charge extra for 4G so it may be worth looking at their tariffs.
-Other
4G can bring benefits to those who use mobile broadband on the go. Faster download speeds means you can work more effeciently on a 4G connection on the go than compared to a 3G connection. Another advantage of 4G is that it works on a lower frequency to 3G so should be able to penetrate buildings better. So if you live in an area that has low 3G signal indoors, you should be able to get a stronger 4G signal when it rolls out to you. Networks should be launching something called Voice over LTE within the next two years which will allow you to make phone calls over the 4G network. This will benefit a lot of people who don't have a good 3G connection indoors.
What handsets support 4G in the UK?
iPhone 5 (will not work on O2 or Vodafone)
iPhone 5S
iPhone 5C
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE (i9305)*
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (N7105)*
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 LTE
HTC One XL (EE and Three only)
HTC One SV
HTC ONE
HTC ONE Mini
Sony Xperia SP
Sony Xperia Z
Sony Xperia Z1
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
LG Optimus G
LG G2
Moto X
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE
Huawei Ascend P2
Blackberry Z10
Blackberry Z30
Blackberry Q10
Blackberry Q5
Nokia Lumia 925
Nokia Lumia 625
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 820 LTE
*The Galaxy S3/Note 2 LTE are different variants from the the S3 and Note 2 that was originally sold and still sold today. Check the model number of your phone to see if your phone is 4G compatible.
If you do not have the above handsets then you will not get 4G access on your phone. (Please not some handsets may be missing from this list). If your phone is not listed here please post in the thread or check with your manufacturer.
No network will offer unlimited data on their network due to the costs involved of launching a 4G Network. Only Three will offer unlimited data on their 4G network.
Why doesn't the iPhone 5 work on O2/Vodafone?
It's purely down to the hardware that the iPhone 5 uses. In the UK each network uses a certain frequency to broadcast a 4G signal. The iPhone 5 hardware only supports one frequency (1800Mhz). And there are three frequencies being used in the UK (800Mhz, 1800Mhz, 2600Mhz)
Think of 4G in the UK like a motorway.
3 lanes, 3 frequencies
Lane 1= 800Mhz
Lane 2= 1800Mhz
Lane 3= 2600Mhz
Vodafone uses lane 1 and 3 for their 4G network, O2 use Lane 1, Three use Lane 1 and 2 and EE use all 3 lanes.
The iPhone 5 only works on lane 2 frequency (1800Mhz) and so won't work on Vodafone or O2 because they don't have access to this frequency. The iPhone 5 doesn't support the other two frequencies/lanes due to the fact it came out last year before the UK had 4G.
All new 4G phones in the UK should work on all networks and frequencies. The New iPhone 5C and 5S work on O2/Vodafone 4G.
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Comments
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I am with 3 mobile, so I guess I will just have to wait till they decide to launch 4G, I can't wait for it, faster internet is always great when you on the move.0
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I have a DC-HSPA+ capable Nexus 4 and live in an area where 3 claim to have rolled out superfast DC-HSPA+. This means I should get speeds similar to LTE. I don't (I get around 3-4mbps). I have absolutely no confidence that LTE will be much quicker. The whole thing is a bit of a scam unless your sat under a mast !0
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I have a DC-HSPA+ capable Nexus 4 and live in an area where 3 claim to have rolled out superfast DC-HSPA+. This means I should get speeds similar to LTE. I don't (I get around 3-4mbps). I have absolutely no confidence that LTE will be much quicker. The whole thing is a bit of a scam unless your sat under a mast !
I wouldn't say it's a scam. To be honest it sounds like you live in a heavily congested area. LTE will easily be much quicker than 3G, even if you're in a low signal area. And there will be less congestion on 4G to start off with so speeds should be great.
Oh and Three and EE's DC-HSPA+ network can be very fast as well. Take a look at this for example-
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Thanks for sharing this info.0
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I wouldn't say it's a scam. To be honest it sounds like you live in a heavily congested area. LTE will easily be much quicker than 3G, even if you're in a low signal area. And there will be less congestion on 4G to start off with so speeds should be great.
Oh and Three and EE's DC-HSPA+ network can be very fast as well. Take a look at this for example-
I don't really understand why O2 don't shout about their DC-HSPA+ coverage to retain customers prior to their own 4G launch. Especially when speeds are up to 41mbps. It's all a bit cloak and dagger. Three are a bit more shouty about it, but like I said the speeds are rubbish. I haven't just checked it where I live which could well be congested. The most I've ever hit is 11mbps.. And becuase 3 won't charge extra for 4g I can see the congestion issue being the same in the future..0 -
Great info BTW. Thanks0
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I don't really understand why O2 don't shout about their DC-HSPA+ coverage to retain customers prior to their own 4G launch. Especially when speeds are up to 41mbps. It's all a bit cloak and dagger. Three are a bit more shouty about it, but like I said the speeds are rubbish. I haven't just checked it where I live which could well be congested. The most I've ever hit is 11mbps.. And becuase 3 won't charge extra for 4g I can see the congestion issue being the same in the future..
Because at the moment O2's roll out is limited to just a few major cities where as EE and Three (MBNL) have around 80% coverage. EE do shout about it more than O2 but not with T-Mobile/Orange. Only with EE4G. They're trying to make EE4G look like a premium product worth paying for by advertising DC-HSPA+ & LTE on EE4G.
Three are making a huge deal over DC-HSPA+ and they've started marketing it as Ultrafast data. They've lumped in LTE and DC-HSPA+ under this Ultrafast network as they know that LTE won't launch until the end of the year and so they're trying to show customers that their network is already ultrafast, not premium priced, and LTE will be free of charge. Which in my opinion is quite a good strategy as the average consumer doesn't really need 4G or want to pay extra for 4G, and DC-HSPA+ is great at the moment.
Tbh though, you do need a DC-HSPA+ capable handset to see the speeds i posted above. Even a phone like the Galaxy S3 isn't DC-HSPA+ capable so you're only ever going to see around half the maximum speed. I think the most i've seen on a HSPA+ handset is around 14mbps, but on a DC-HSPA+ handset is around 28mbps as referenced above. The good thing about DC-HSPA+ is that it's very close to LTE with fast download speeds and lower pings. But LTE has it's advantages, especially in the future/0 -
Might be worth adding that the Huawei E589 MiFi supports 4G.
http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2012/12/this-huawei-e589-mifi-unit-on-ee-is-absolutely-motoring.html
I will not be getting 4G anytime soon but have this unit and would recommend it even for 3G and less!0 -
4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G families of standards.0
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Can't see the point of paying extra for 4G when I'm getting this with a PAYG Sim with 12 Months Free Data.
(Via an iPad 3 with a T-Mobile PAYG Sim)
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