EE launches fastest ever 4G network
EE is doubling its 4G speeds and launching a host of extras to try to lure in new customers.
Everything Everywhere (EE) has stormed in front of the competition by doubling its 4G network speed in 12 cities.
The maximum speed available is now 150Mbps making it one of the fastest networks in the world.
The company is also launching pay-as-you-go 4G contracts and allowing customers to share data across multiple handsets.
Superfast broadband
The new ‘DoubleSpeed’ service from EE will be accessible in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
It is predicted to be equivalent to speeds found in South Korea and faster than those available in the US. When using a connection at this increased speed a 1GB film could be downloaded in three minutes while a music track would be almost instant, according to Recombu.
This means average speeds will be doubled to 24-30Mbps, while you will have the option of paying for faster speeds in the same way home broadband works at the moment.
The company’s existing 500,000 customers will be able to upgrade for free to the faster network until the end of their contract.
EE, which was created by merging Orange and T-Mobile, aims to cover 98% of the population by the end of next year and was the first network in the UK to produce a 4G service.
Sharing devices
Customers with EE will also be able to use up to five different devices to one contract, so they can always make full use of their data, minutes and calls allowance. Although sharing devices across a contract is nothing new, making it available to non-business customers is.
These shared plans will be launched on 17th July and data allowances of up to 20GB will be available.
For yearly contracts one phone can be added to a plan from an extra £12 a month while one tablet will cost from £5 a month. If it’s a WiFi-enabled tablet the price goes up to £12 a month and EE predicts this could save the average family more than £450 per year. However, the price is more expensive for those on 30-day contracts.
Extra benefits will also be thrown in such as two-for-one cinema tickets and fast-track customer services.
Pay as you go
In an attempt to bring in even more customers before rival companies bring out their own 4G deals, EE is also making it possible to use the 4G network with a pay-as-you-go SIM card.
These start from £15 and the cheapest option includes 2GB of mobile data which will last for 30 days.
However, it’s unlikely this amount of data would last long on the increased speed so would only be suitable for people who rarely use their phones.
Cash on tap
A new ‘cash on tap’ service is also being launched which allows users to pay for things through their mobile phones.
This has been created in partnership with MasterCard and will be accepted at more than 230,000 retailers nationwide, such as Boots and Greggs.
Users who sign up to this will also be given a free £10 once they have topped up their account.
The alternatives
Currently EE is not offering any unlimited data packages and as it’s the only provider with a 4G network it has the monopoly on the service and can charge a premium.
However, other providers are gearing up to launch rival products later in the year when they’re allowed to start using 4G.
If you’re desperate for a 4G phone but want to wait until the prices fall, or don’t want to go with EE, you can buy a 4G-ready phone from another company and it’ll be upgraded when the 4G service is available.
Vodafone, for example, has a 4G Promise on certain phones which would allow customers to upgrade early for a discounted price whereas 3 is promoting its ‘Ultrafast’ network which it says is almost as fast as 4G.
Compare top mobile deals at Recombu.
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Everything about 4G is a shambles especially in this country. All Apple "4G" phones when launched are useless on 4G unless you go with EE. I live in london and when I tried an EE 4G data card in my ipad it never got 4G only 3G and EE could not make it work either even in Central London. Worked ok in the US with an ATT sim card. Apple deny that their 4G phones won't work on other networks but seeing as the allocated bands available for 4G and usable by Apple products only include EE I think you can work out who is right. Class action anyone?
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Nice advert for EE. However, customers in existing Orange and T-Mobile contracts should beware the sales calls from EE. I was conned into switching from Orange to EE (yes, EE is an umbrella company but also a completely different legal entity. So don't believe they are one and the same as your existing provider). I got a call from EE telesales (as it turned out) identifying themselves as customer services. They just wanted to tell me about the new 4G service and change of name to EE. (Not true, it is a different company). I immediately asked what she was selling but she told me she was selling nothing. Just advising which I felt was strange. Orange had never called to see how I was doing before. At the end of the call she asked me if I was happy for her to put me onto 4G. (Not a new contract with EE). There seemed no downside so I said OK. A few weeks later with no further contact than this call from the blue, my phone stops working. I call Orange who tell me I have been ported to EE!! I kicked off. They told me that I should have received a new SIM card. No mention of this from the telesales. Only way to sort it is to travel 10 miles to an EE store. In the middle of a working day I am scuppered. Next day I go to the EE store when it opens. After explaining the situation they tell me that they have no idea why I was switched as my iPhone is locked to Orange and I could never get 4G anyway even with the EE SIM card that they are about to charge me £10 for!!! I tries Ofcom who don't investigate individual cases but just look for patterns to check. So waste of time there. They recommended a drawn out complaints procedure with Orange which takes months and ends up with minimal recompense if you don't die of boredom waiting for their responses and protracted procedures to play out. Conclusion. I am now on EE for 18 months (which was the same time left on my contract with Orange). I have NO chance of getting 4G as it is nowhere near my area or won't be in the 18 months that I have left. I lost a days work and had to negotiate discounts of the £10 for the SIM, £23 for half a month for my hassle and a little more for something else. Doesn't make up for blatant miss-selling, a lost day of work or the stress of it all. Idjits. Moral? Beware EE and 'random customer service' calls. This company speaks with forked tongues.
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06 July 2013