Three has outlined its plans to launch a 4G network here in the UK, with the new network launching this December.
The launch will make Three the fourth UK mobile network to launch a 4G network, after EE last year and both O2 and Vodafone today. Of course, there are other networks who safely secured a slice of the 4G spectrum at the Ofcom auction earlier this year who could beat Three to the fourth spot, including Orange, T-Mobile and BT.
Three confirmed that it will be keeping its earlier promise of free upgrades to 4G for its customers when the network does launch in the Christmas month, which the network hopes will give it an edge over its rivals.
This means that if you’re already a Three customer and you have a 4G phone – the iPhone 5, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are all fine examples – then you can upgrade your package to make use of Three’s 4G network at no extra cost. Three says that all you need to switch to 4G is a simple software update on your device, which sounds nice and easy – no SIM swaps and no contract changes, either.
Prices for 4G tariffs have also been revealed by Three, and they ought to have EE quaking in their boots. At entry level, the cheapest 4G SIM-only deal will set you back £6.90 per month and that gives you 500MB of data, 200 minutes and 5,000 texts. EE’s cheapest 4G SIM-only deal is £21 per month for the same 500MB of data, however you do get unlimited calls and texts.
Three will also offer up an ‘all-you-can-eat’ data plan for £12.90 per month, although we don’t currently know the fair usage policy on this (on 3G Three caps this at 5GB). In comparison, EE’ best offering gives you 20GB of 4G data for £61 per month.
Both O2 and Vodafone launch their 4G networks today in London, with coverage reaching other major UK cities in the coming weeks. Three is yet to confirm which cities will be covered by its 4G network when it launches in December, although we would expect London to be the first.