[Everything Goes]

Three have committed to bring 4G LTE as a standard price and unlimited tariffs unlike EE. Looks like Three will break from the crowed

Three to offer latest technology as standard with no price premium.

Three UK today made a public commitment to offer Ultrafast services as a standard feature on all its smartphone price plans. LTE, otherwise known as 4G, will be added to Three's Ultrafast network later this year. Unlike some other UK mobile operators, it will be available across all existing and new price plans without customers needing to pay a premium fee to 'upgrade'.

Three's Ultrafast network, currently supported by DC-HSDPA technology, already covers 55% of the UK population with an initial focus on 50 towns and cities. It will reach 80% population coverage by the end of March and in the second half of this year it will incorporate 1800Mhz spectrum already acquired by Three to add even more coverage and capacity.

Any customer with an Ultrafast ready device can already enjoy great speeds on Three's Ultrafast network without paying a premium or needing to swap SIM cards or price plans. LTE will be available as standard with all customers' price plans when the roll-out begins later this year.

"Our customers choose Three because they love the internet and know they can get great speeds and great value on our award-winning network," said Three UK chief executive Dave Dyson.

"As we add the next wave of technology to our Ultrafast network, we've listened to our customers and thought long and hard about the right way to do it. We don't want to limit Ultrafast services to a select few based on a premium price and we've decided our customers will get this service as standard. With Three, it's simple, great value and Ultrafast. What you might expect from the network that was built for the internet."

Customers with Ultrafast ready devices, including the Apple iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 920, Sony Xperia Z, Apple iPad mini and Apple iPad with Retina display, can already enjoy Three's Ultrafast network and will also be able to use the 1800Mhz spectrum when it is added later this year. Device choice is growing rapidly with new Ultrafast ready LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II being launched on Three within the next month, and the BlackBerry Z10 launching mid-February.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/03/t...-price-pledge/

[Step666]

Ah crap, I was a minute too late...

[Everything Goes]

Originally Posted by Step666

Ah crap, I was a minute too late...

Never mind its good news for everyone expect those who sighed up for EE at a premium with crap data caps. It may encourage EE to be more generous? Certainly good for competition.

[Step666]

Definitely good for competition.

I might actually switch from T-Mobile when this happens.

[Everything Goes]

Originally Posted by Step666

Definitely good for competition.

I might actually switch from T-Mobile when this happens.

My contract with O2 is up this year so this may well sway me to Three. Don't even get me started on O2's 3G coverage

[slick1two]

Sweet!!! Three is THE choice for mobile internet! All those who locked themselves in to 2 years with EE. All I can say is......unlucky peeps!

[Step666]

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Don't even get me started on O2's 3G coverage

Yeah, I was going to say, even without LTE switching would seem to be a good idea

It's a shame because I know I'll never get another deal like the one I have.
But unlimited LTE for a decent price is so tempting...

Originally Posted by slick1two

All those who locked themselves in to 2 years with EE. All I can say is......unlucky peeps!

By the time Three launch their LTE service, those people will maybe only have a year left.
Potentially a year of LTE before any other network offered it, of course you'd have to pay premium prices for that.

Also, to be fair, this announcement goes against everything Three had said previously about their LTE pricing.
No-one could have expected this.

[joshua_welby]

Good job I am already with Three, I never liked T-Mobile, only when it was Mercury One 2 One
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_UK

[davybhoy]

Originally Posted by slick1two

Sweet!!! Three is THE choice for mobile internet! All those who locked themselves in to 2 years with EE. All I can say is......unlucky peeps!

This isn't the case at all! I will have 4G for about 6 months before Three even start rolling it out and even then, there is no indication at all as to their roll out plan. It could be the slowest roll out plan ever for all we know or the coverage may be crap for a good while. It could also be well over 2 years from when I got my 4G until it gets rolled out over here making my EE contract very justifiable.

I think you should wait and see their roll out plan, how fast they roll it out, where they will roll it out to first and how long it will take to cover all the UK's major Cities before saying we are unlucky. I for 1 see myself as very lucky, particularly as I have £10 off my line rental for the entire term of my contract.

Bear in mind that EE will be about 9 months or more ahead of Three and the others with the roll out of 4G so my contract could be up before Three 4G is even here. Also, if everyone jumps on the Three bandwagon the network will be so congested that you'd be better off without a 4G contract and stick to the DC-HSPA!

[Everything Goes]

Originally Posted by davybhoy

This isn't the case at all! I will have 4G for about 6 months before Three even start rolling it out and even then, there is no indication at all as to their roll out plan. It could be the slowest roll out plan ever for all we know or the coverage may be crap for a good while. It could also be well over 2 years from when I got my 4G until it gets rolled out over here making my EE contract very justifiable.

I think you should wait and see their roll out plan, how fast they roll it out, where they will roll it out to first and how long it will take to cover all the UK's major Cities before saying we are unlucky. I for 1 see myself as very lucky, particularly as I have £10 off my line rental for the entire term of my contract.

Bear in mind that EE will be about 9 months or more ahead of Three and the others with the roll out of 4G so my contract could be up before Three 4G is even here. Also, if everyone jumps on the Three bandwagon the network will be so congested that you'd be better off without a 4G contract and stick to the DC-HSPA!

That's O2's plan

If Three and the other networks get a chunks of 800MHz and 2.6GHz then they could be up and running by about May 2013.

[slick1two]

Originally Posted by davybhoy

This isn't the case at all! I will have 4G for about 6 months before Three even start rolling it out and even then, there is no indication at all as to their roll out plan. It could be the slowest roll out plan ever for all we know or the coverage may be crap for a good while. It could also be well over 2 years from when I got my 4G until it gets rolled out over here making my EE contract very justifiable.

I think you should wait and see their roll out plan, how fast they roll it out, where they will roll it out to first and how long it will take to cover all the UK's major Cities before saying we are unlucky. I for 1 see myself as very lucky, particularly as I have £10 off my line rental for the entire term of my contract.

Bear in mind that EE will be about 9 months or more ahead of Three and the others with the roll out of 4G so my contract could be up before Three 4G is even here. Also, if everyone jumps on the Three bandwagon the network will be so congested that you'd be better off without a 4G contract and stick to the DC-HSPA!

Wishful thinking? On a serious note, three aren't starting from scratch here, they purchased LTE spectrum a while ago, you think they would have been sitting idly by? Three are all about the internet, they will likely be up and running fairly soon.

Either way there is no premium price plans. At a worst case scenario, we will have 80% coverage of DC HSPA at no extra cost either, and that is still plenty quick.

[Jwhiterz]

Glad they said this now! Was thinking of re contracting with tmobile tomorrow! EE is probably crapping their pants right now.

[davybhoy]

Originally Posted by slick1two

Wishful thinking? On a serious note, three aren't starting from scratch here, they purchased LTE spectrum a while ago, you think they would have been sitting idly by? Three are all about the internet, they will likely be up and running fairly soon.

Either way there is no premium price plans. At a worst case scenario, we will have 80% coverage of DC HSPA at no extra cost either, and that is still plenty quick.

If you are talking about the 1800Mhz they purchased from EE after the Orange and T-Mobile merger, they aren't getting that until September. If they aren't up and running by then on other bands then they will be seriously lagging behind...

[Everything Goes]

Originally Posted by davybhoy

If you are talking about the 1800Mhz they purchased from EE after the Orange and T-Mobile merger, they aren't getting that until September. If they aren't up and running by then on other bands then they will be seriously lagging behind...

It depends on how much work they will do in the mean time. They have plenty of time to build their 4G network and just switch on 1800MHz in September. Its what I would do. Plan ahead. Other networks may be more reactive rather than proactive. Namely O2

[The Lord Lucan]

I think Three know something that the general public doesn't yet...

[Step666]

Originally Posted by The Lord Lucan

I think Three know something that the general public doesn't yet...

Maybe.
Maybe the auction of the 800 and 2600MHz bands have progressed faster than expected or maybe this relates to recent Ofcom talk of allowing all frequencies to be used for all types of network.

Or maybe it's just a PR stunt to try and put people off switching to EE.

[The Lord Lucan]

I think it relates to the auction but not as you've said.

[James30]

Originally Posted by davybhoy

if everyone jumps on the Three bandwagon the network will be so congested that you'd be better off without a 4G contract and stick to the DC-HSPA!

As a loyal customer to Three, this worries me. At the moment the 3G is fine, but lots of extra people at once will congest the 4G signal.

[12december1984]

If Three do 4G on a SIMO plan or PAYG then I'll be interested...

With EE4G at the minute until December 2013 so can jump ship then but it's their customer service that puts me off, sadly.

[dephanix02]

Told you all Three would be the only ones to add competition to this 4G, knew they wouldn't let us down. This benefits everyone. No matter what network you're on.

[jabbamk1]

Hmmm. Im still a bit skeptical. The article just mentions upgrading/exisisting customers do not have to pay a premium on current price plans. Nothing about new customers

But the unl data bit is good.

[denyo1977]

Originally Posted by Step666

Maybe.
Maybe the auction of the 800 and 2600MHz bands have progressed faster than expected or maybe this relates to recent Ofcom talk of allowing all frequencies to be used for all types of network.

Or maybe it's just a PR stunt to try and put people off switching to EE.

Or maybe Three didn't manage to get anything at the auction, so only have to upgrade what they have got (and what they will get from EE) and that's why they won't be charging extra

[jabbamk1]

Ok so I had a coffee and read the article again and I am no longer skeptical. Sees it will e for new and existing customers. Good news but very surprising!

[mogzyboy]

Well I'll have to consider Three when my contract with EE is up in September, then. It's about time there was a real, proper alternative.

[konebyvax]

DC-HSDPA is a viable alternative anyway and is available now from Three for approx 80% of the UK by the end of March. OK, not as fast (theoretically) but I've read of speeds of 21mb down which would be just fine by me.