Britain's first 4G mobile network is launched

30th October 2012

Everything Everywhere (EE) – the UK's largest mobile network operator with around 28 million customers – has today launched its new 4G service in 11 cities.

The company has promised speeds of between 8 to 12Mbps – up to five times faster than third generation mobile technology known as 3G. This will allow users to download large email attachments quicker than ever, stream live TV on the move without buffering, download high-definition movies in minutes, and much more.

In its first phase, the service will be available in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Southampton. Coverage will expand by 2,000 square miles every month, both into new cities as well as providing denser coverage in existing areas. This means the service will be available in a further five cities before Christmas, with more cities and rural locations planned for 2013, and 98% of the population covered by the end of 2014. On average, around two million users per month will gain access, making it the fastest rollout of any UK network in history.

This launch could offer a timely boost to the UK economy, offering firms the opportunity to increase innovation, boost productivity and cut costs – as has been the experience in countries such as the USA, Sweden, Japan and Germany since the technology was first introduced. New research reveals that nearly three-quarters of British businesses (74%) are planning to adopt 4G within 12 months.

However, 4G will be expensive initially. The entry-level tariff of £36 (US$58) per month includes a data allowance of just 500MB, beyond which an add-on cost must be paid if the user wishes to continue using the Internet on their mobile. These add-on costs begin at £3 (US$4.8) for 50MB, extending to £20 (US$32) for 4GB. The company's top tariff for standard customers will cost £56 (US$90) per month, with a data allowance of 8GB.

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