UK 4G: Think carefully about your chosen phone

Hi

Given the recent news that will see EE launch 'early-4G 1800MHz' services 30th October, and other operators able to offer 4G services on post-auction frequencies from June/July next year, think carefully before signing up for a new 2 year contract!

The UK's post-4G-auction LTE frequencies are 800MHz and 2600MHz. If you are signing up for a new contract, and wish to take advantage of 4G when your operator starts rolling it out on these frequencies next summer, make sure the phone you choose supports 4G/LTE on these frequencies

If you go for EE's 4G service from 30th October, make sure that the '4G' phone you get from them does 800MHz and 2600MHz (as well as the 1800MHz frequency they are using initially). If you get a phone from EE that only does 1800MHz, you'll be left high and dry, unable to use the phone on any 800/2600MHz base stations that EE will start rolling out next summer.

The current UK version of the iPhone5 DOES NOT do 800/2600MHz 4G/LTE. In the UK, it will ONLY work on EE's 1800MHz 'interim-4G' service which may only ever cover 16 cities, or 1/3rd the UK population.

Likewise, many of the other 4G phones being offered by EE will not do 800/2600MHz. Apparently, the Nokia Lumnia 920 does... Its unlikely that the Samsung Galaxy S3/Note 2 will do the required freqs: 800, 1800 and 2600MHz.

If in doubt, switch to a cheapy monthly contract, and wait until the operators offer you some hardware that IS futureproofed for 4G. Cheapo month-to-month contracts can be had from 3 or virgin mobile for 7 quid a month.

'Three' also has 1800MHz spectrum on which it will roll out 4G services, but it cannot use this spectrum until September 2013 (license agreement with EE). If you go with three, you'll need 800,1800 and 2600MHz 4G on your device to be able to use 100% of threes the new 4G base stations.

I am needing a new phone/contract deal, but EE will only get my custom if the Galaxy Note-2 that they are going to offer does 800, 1800 and 2600LTE, otherwise its a waste of time/money.

I suspect the lack of UK 4G on your iPhone5 etc will effect its resale value 2 years down the line when 4G is covering 98% of the UK population.

Nigel

Edited by veletron (Sat 06-Oct-12 13:51:53)

I suppose this is why O2 are offering you a free upgrade to a 4G phone of your choice if you buy the new IPhone.

By the time 4G reaches Cities in Kent it should be a bit more 'mature' ... we'll probably have the iPhone 7 by then.

I think my iPhone 4 may see me through another 2 years before there is good enough network coverage available to make the jump to 4G...

I believe that ofcom has conditions attached to the winning of licenses in the 4G auction later this year. I believe that by end 2014, networks are supposed to cover 98% of the UK by population. Some networks are hoping to do this earlier rather than later.

Hopefully, this will mean that we avoid the situation with 3G, where Vodafone and O2 win 3G licenses and then don't bother to roll out service outside of major urban centres.

Nigel

Ofcoms 98% goal was 2017

o2/ vodafone said by 2015 it should have 2g 3g and 4g at the 98% level

In many press articles.

o2 started a 3 year nationwide upgrade programme to allow base stations to be software upgradable to 4g lte. search nokia seimens networks for south and ericsson for the north.

Also worth noting that at this point EE appear to be gearing up to ONLY offering 18 & 24 month contracts INCLUDING sim-only contract.

Obviously this could change before launch but at the moment that's quite a change from what we're currently used to.

In reply to a post by Matchstick:

Also worth noting that at this point EE appear to be gearing up to ONLY offering 18 & 24 month contracts INCLUDING sim-only contract.

Obviously this could change before launch but at the moment that's quite a change from what we're currently used to.

EE can't be confident of customer retention then. Contracts longer than 30 days can be a deterrent for new business, particularly when handset subsidy is not required. Meanwhile it will be interesting to see if O2/Voda will compete with DC-HSDPA (40Mbps) since the iPhone 5 supports that.

Why do you claim that 'many' of the phones EE will offer will not to 800 and 2600 MHz?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/262075/quadcore_galax...

@bosie o2 are rolling out dc-hsdpa at 42mb http://www.t3.com/news/o2-uk-brings-42mbps-fastest-e... and also discussed on the o2 community

3G isn't available where I am ergo 4G is not an option.

All fine in the city, or malls. Doesn't make a difference really. It could've been 99G but if you can't get it...

It's a shame none of the networks publish maps showing expected speed and which technology a mast supports...

Three did do maps when they upgraded from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps HSDPA... that must have been ~4 years ago now.

O2 or Vodafone would be on to a winner if they done DC-HSDPA 42Mbps on 900Mhz but only if the same power as current 2G. It seems that their 3G900 network is low power or only on small cells as coverage is so poor, just a few town centres.

Vodafone do maps for outdoor coverage with 2G and 3G in different colours

House sits in the 2G but only just

I've read that much about it of late that I have probably gotten my dates/goals muddled up.

I'll believe it when I see if re Vodafone and O2 and 4G coverage. I live in Scotland, and spend my weekends in the highlands. No chance of 3G unless you are with 3/EE.

Personally, I believe that technologies should be licensed for use on a frequency for a max period of time after which the provider should be forced to update the technology. I can't believe the lack of 3G coverage across more remote parts of the country - this technology is what, 10 years old?, and there's still swathes of countryside without that 10-year old technology using 20-year-old 2G technology instead.

I guess that voice rather than data is still most folks reason for having a mobile phone - I cant remember the last time I used mine for voice!

Nigel

For what I do on my sammy S3 3's HSPA+ Network does me fine so whilst everyone is jumping over to 4G will free some speed up for me

Thanks

Can't say I'll lose any sleep over the iPhone 5 not being a true UK 4G phone, neither will the majority of people either. Your assumption that EE will stop offering 4G on 1800 is incorrect; they're more likely to shut down 2G completely and utilise what 800/2600 they get for 4G and have a mix of 3 and 4G in the 1800 band.
There are people out there that are hoping the handset makers will update incompatible phones with chips supporting the auction bands in time. However, I cannot see this happening until the current models reach EOL and the new one comes out. While the iPhone 5 that will be sold when the 5S comes outs will probably get an update to support the auctioned bands, don't expect it to get a mid cycle refresh.

Hi

I was not meaning that existing 1800MHz 4G networks covering the 16 initial cities would be shut-down - rather I meant that phones with only 1800MHz will never get 4G coverage beyond those initial 16 cities - since any extensions to EE's 4G network will roll out on post-auction frequencies. I believe that the agreement with ofcom allowed EE to roll out 4G in selected area's (the 16 initial cities). I believe that if they wish to extend 1800MHz 4G coverage beyond those area's a further deal with ofcom would be required. By that time we should be post-auction, and everyone should be rolling out on 800/2600MHz.

Nigel

Any evidence to back this up, as that would mean lots of people have wasted money on a device that really only gives the best speed in a few locations.

There may be an agreement to not roll out the remaining areas on 1800MHz too fast

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Why do you claim that 'many' of the phones EE will offer will not to 800 and 2600 MHz?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/262075/quadcore_galax...

'Cause that's what I have been reading... I wish they would confirm the supported frequencies on their website, and those of tmob/orange.

Nigel

Just FYI
Galaxy Note 2 supports all the LTE bands. Check here http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consumer/mobile/mobile-...

- Anna

I think there are two versions of the Note II the standard 3G and the LTE version

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/ga...
and
http://www.zdnet.com/uk/samsung-galaxy-note-2-now-on...

The second link confirms that you need to make sure you buy the LTE version if 4G is your desire

Forgot to mention that when choosing Galaxy Note 2 LTE, look for the model # GT-N7105.

In reply to a post by veletron:

Hi

I was not meaning that existing 1800MHz 4G networks covering the 16 initial cities would be shut-down - rather I meant that phones with only 1800MHz will never get 4G coverage beyond those initial 16 cities - since any extensions to EE's 4G network will roll out on post-auction frequencies. I believe that the agreement with ofcom allowed EE to roll out 4G in selected area's (the 16 initial cities). I believe that if they wish to extend 1800MHz 4G coverage beyond those area's a further deal with ofcom would be required. By that time we should be post-auction, and everyone should be rolling out on 800/2600MHz.

Nigel

most MBNL masts should have 4g as well at some point
to bad that my t-mobile/3/MBNL mast is in an bad location for me as loads of houses between me and it the other one is an orange relay mast (no hard line uses an microwave dish to get network access so that is never going to see LTE i guess) and the other 2 orange masts not sure about where they are one of them should get LTE hopefully the stronger one,

as then I can get The Full Monty plan on t-mobile EE (it most likely be the only reason I switch from orange to t-mobile as orange contract plans are garbage for what you pay for) but I have got 10 month left before I get to that point.

Edited by leexgx (Sun 21-Oct-12 19:59:10)