Let the mobile download madness begin, as O2 and Vodafone 4G services switch on
After almost a year of touting 4G exclusivity, EE now have some superfast competition as both O2 and Vodafone today switch on their own network’s 4G services.
O2’s 4G services will launch initially in in just the three cities – London, Bradford and Leeds – while Vodafone are focussing their efforts solely on London to begin with.
Both plan on adding more cities by the end of the year, with Vodafone aiming to bring their 4G-enabled city count up to 12 and O2’s up to 13. By comparison, the year-long headstart has allowed EE to get its 4G service up and running in 100 cities.
Throwing a spanner into the works are Three, who today confirmed they will be launching their 4G service in December, offering the superfast update for free to their existing customers, and supporting unlimited data allowances. It’s coverage roll-out looks likely to be the slowest of all though – they’re aiming to have 98% of the country covered by 2015, a goal EE expects to achieve by the end of 2014.
4G LTE mobile download speeds, for the most part, will come at a reasonable premium over its 3G counterpart. However, the benefits of having download speeds 10x faster on average than what’s possible with 3G will not be lost on those who stream plenty of movies on the go or download sizeable apps.
RELATED:
O2 reveal 4G tariffs: Tempting users from EE and Vodafone with gaming, music and sporting deals
Vodafone reveal full 4G plans and pricing: Roll out begins 29 August
Free Three 4G to roll-out this December, with unlimited data options
