[wavejockglw]

The first large-scale test of EE's new 4G network has indicated less than half of Manchester city centre is able to take advantage of its high speeds.

Data collected by mobile coverage firm RootMetrics and shared exclusively with the BBC reveals just 40.2% of its test locations had access to the 4G network.

Outside the city centre there was no 4G coverage, according to the tests.

RootMetrics also found 4G provided much faster speeds indoors, something EE's rivals had questioned when it launched.

The survey also found:

31% of tests were achieving speeds of more than 10Mbps

9% achieved speeds of 6-10Mbps

18% speeds of 3-6Mbps

23% speeds of 1.5-3Mbps.

That left 19% achieving speeds of less than 1.5Mbps, which actually compares favourably with EE's rivals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20408514

60% of the tests were less than 6Mbps!

Maybe that's why Vodafone's CEO has stated they don't think there will be much impact made by EE's 4G.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/23...ge_impact.aspx

[wrexham103.4]

mean while on O2 3G network it showed no coverage....

[wavejockglw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrexham103.4

mean while on O2 3G network it showed no coverage....

Why does every thread have to be littered with such off-topic nonsense like the post above?

Hopefully discussion about these initial results will follow as many will be considering 4G as an option now where it is available.

Is it worth the extra?

[Thine Wonk]

There's already 2 threads discussing this, this one http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...1#post62474411 and the one highlighted above by Wrexham EDIT in the deleted post.

O2, who you usually endorse to the nth degree had a decade and still have the least 3G coverage of all the networks so it does come across as odd to criticise another network who literally only launched a few weeks back. It might be worth looking closer to home if you were looking for embarrassing speeds and coverage 10 years on from launch, I don't think EE 4G is even 10 weeks in yet.

It says in the report that those are average speeds a lot of which were taken on 3G I think.

[gomezz]

What I want to know is what this means for rural coverage and if this is evidence that DTT coverage countrywide is being squeezed just to favour big city dwellers?

[Thine Wonk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomezz

What I want to know is what this means for rural coverage and if this is evidence that DTT coverage countrywide is being squeezed just to favour big city dwellers?

Initially I think that might be the case, but next year I think the operators will be interested in rural, some of them anyway.

[wavejockglw]

There has been NO PERSONAL OPINION Posted. All of the text was referenced from sources listed.

The thread has NOTHING to do with O2!

It would be useful to note what others think of the results and whether they consider the new EE 4G service a good value for money proposition.

[Thine Wonk]

Tell us what you think, we can all read the news. It's already been posted twice in the mobile section.

You chose to bold, highlight and put exclamation marks in that weren't in the article so I thought you were expressing an opinion.

[wavejockglw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomezz

What I want to know is what this means for rural coverage and if this is evidence that DTT coverage countrywide is being squeezed just to favour big city dwellers?

Good question as there has been a recent shift in prioritising mobile data. My guess is that it is a case of demand that has to be met somehow.

As for rural vs cities, 850MHz 4G will do a good job covering wide areas and some lots in the forthcoming auction will have a coverage requirement of 98% of the population so that should cater for many rural areas. 2600MHz should offer decent coverage in cities as O2's recent London LTE trials have proved using those frequencies.

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

Good question as there has been a recent shift in prioritising mobile data. My guess is that it is a case of demand that has to be met somehow.

As for rural vs cities, 850MHz 4G will do a good job covering wide areas and some lots in the forthcoming auction will have a coverage requirement of 98% of the population so that should cater for many rural areas. 2600MHz should offer decent coverage in cities as O2's recent London LTE trials have proved using those frequencies.

Agree with the above here^ It's how O2 and Vodafone have had rock solid 2G signal before others.