Vodafone and O2 launch their super-fast internet networks today in three UK cities
Vodafone and O2 customers are now able to access high-speed 4G internet on their mobiles – but only if they own one of a handful of brand-new smartphones.
The networks launched the service yesterday in a bid to rival EE, which introduced its 4G package last October.
O2 has now switched on 4G in London, Leeds and Bradford. However Vodafone has so far only launched it in some parts of London ahead of its UK-wide roll-out.
The service lets users surf the web at speeds that are between five and seven times faster than 3G.
But experts last night warned customers to ‘think very carefully’ about the cost of changing before making the switch. Both O2 and Vodafone currently offer fewer than 15 mobiles that work with their 4G networks.
This means that most customers – including those who own the iPhone 5 – will have to purchase a new phone before they can upgrade.
Even with a compatible handset, existing customers will pay on average £5 a month extra for a 4G tariff.
Millions will then be unable to access the 4G service in their hometown for months or even years.
Ernest Doku, a technology expert from comparison website USwitch.com, said: ‘This could prove very expensive for customers, so people need to consider the extra costs.
‘You need to ask if you can get 4G in your area and when will it arrive, as well as how much you will need to spend to upgrade your phone to one which is 4G-compatible.
‘A lot of people will have to pay a few hundred quid to buy a new phone and break their contract, even those with relatively new smartphones.
‘Lastly, you need to ask yourself if the more expensive tariff will be worth it. Not everyone will need faster internet.’
He added: ‘Naturally over time people will change to 4G but there is a lot to think about at the moment.’
Subscribers to 4G can download a song in four seconds or post a photograph to a social networking site in six seconds.
They will also be able to watch films, videos and television straight from the internet as easily and quickly as from a home computer.
O2 and Vodafone have pledged to have 4G network coverage in more cities by the end of the year – including Birmingham, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
But they will still lag some way behind EE, which already offers their 4G service in 105 UK towns and cities.
Telecoms expert Dominic Baliszewski said now might not be the right time to switch, but insisted 4G internet will soon start to grow in popularity.
He said: ‘Just like the black-and-white televisions of yesteryear, 3G is doing a perfectly good job for millions of customers – but 4G is the Technicolor revolution.’
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Category: 4G Technology, United Kingdom, Vodafone, World, World News
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