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BT gets back into mobile with a trio of SIM-only 4G plans
It's already been quite the week for the UK's mobile battleground, with Three UK's owner Hutchison Whampoa announcing its plan to acquire O2 for a cool £10 billion. And today, confirming recent rumours, BT is ready to re-enter mobile ten years after offloading its shares in O2 and getting out of the game. BT is pursuing its own, mammoth acquisition of EE, of course, but while it waits on regulatory approval, it's tapping EE's network under an MVNO agreement penned way back in 2013. BT is now part of the quad-play club, and like fellow members Virgin Media and TalkTalk, it's going after the price-conscious consumer with a trio of SIM-only plans.
EE kicks off 400 Mbps 4G trials at Wembley Stadium
EE was the first 4G network operator in the UK, and it's now hell-bent on staying the fastest. After launching its LTE-A network (aka 4G+) in central London last October, it's trialling new spectrum configurations that could boost speeds even further. If you haven't been keeping up with all the network developments, here's a quick primer: standard 4G can offer theoretical download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, while LTE-A doubles that hypothetical maximum to 300 Mbps. To achieve this, EE added an extra 20MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum on top of its existing 1800MHz band, and now the carrier's testing a three-band approach that leverages another 15MHz, boosting top download speeds to 400 Mbps.
Virgin's small-cell networks to improve 4G coverage in the UK's biggest cities
The UK government has been pretty vocal about carriers needing to improve network coverage in rural areas, but that's not to say everything's hunky-dory in some of the UK's biggest cities. That's why Virgin Media Business -- the part of Branson's empire that deals with broadband infrastructure and the like -- is combining its fibre network with wireless expert Arqiva's knowhow to improve 4G coverage in cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Southampton. To do this, the pair will install small-cell technology (which, incidentally, EE is using to bring coverage to underserved rural regions) in "street assets" such as lampposts and CCTV cameras. These mini-masts will increase network capacity and improve 4G coverage in areas where buildings can get in the way of the signal. When the small-cell systems are up and running, the idea is carriers will pay Virgin and Arqiva to access them. That should be an easy sell, however, since they can immediately improve 4G services for their customers, no new infrastructure investment required.
Vodafone extends 4G roaming to cover 40 countries
You probably take Vodafone's 4G network for granted when on home turf, only to be saddened by slower speeds when travelling further afield. Well, Vodafone wants to make sure you get full use of your phone's LTE radio while abroad, and after announcing a bunch of new countries where 4G roaming is supported a few months ago, it's added almost as many to that same list today. Of the 17 new countries that make up the now 40-strong list, Japan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia are arguably the most notable, though you can have a gander at the full roster after the break. As you may already know, Vodafone lets customers use their normal voice, text and data allowances abroad for either £3 per day in Europe, or £5 per day everywhere else. And if you're travelling to any of the newly added countries over the holiday period, consider today's news an early stocking-filler.
EE flips the switch on its faster 4G network in London
EE's been conducting closed trials of LTE-Advanced technology since last year, so imagine the red faces when Vodafone reported earlier this month that its own faster 4G network was about to go live in three cities. EE's now being forced to play catch-up, but it's well on its way today after flipping its LTE-A network live in parts of central London, including Kensington, Old Street, Shoreditch, Soho, Southbank and Westminster. This 4G+ network, as EE brands it, should cover the whole of Greater London by the middle of next year, before rolling out to other big cities like Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester later. While standard LTE can deliver a theoretical maximum download speed of 150 Mbps, LTE-A doubles that to a maximum speed of 300 Mbps (though real-world speeds tend to be around half the max).
EE updates its SIM-only plans with some cheaper options
It's been a busy month for EE already, with updated pay-as-you-go tariffs and a break-up with Phones4u that's forced the latter to shut-up shop. The bustle continues, however, and today the 4G network's announced revamped SIM-only plans for those who don't need no subsidized handset. On a one-year contract, pricing starts at £10 per month for 250MB of data and goes all the way to £28 per month for 10GB. Committing to only a 30-day plan makes it all a little more expensive at £13 for 250MB and £31 for 10 gigs. The top three data allowances of 2GB, 5GB and 10GB also get access to EE's "double-speed" network, as well as free calls to 080 numbers. They are only transient deals, though, and for new customers those caps will be reduced to 1GB, 3GB and 5GB, respectively, come the end of January next year. We know how much you love tables, so there's a handy one after the break that lays out all the new plans and their prices.
Vodafone catches up to the crowd with 4G on pay-as-you-go
Coming up to a year since Vodafone switched on its 4G network, the carrier's finally opened those superfast airwaves up to pay-as-you-go customers today. If you already own a compatible handset, all you need is a £20 "Freedom Freebee" top-up -- which grants you 2GB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts -- to start enjoying LTE speeds (anything cheaper and you're stuck on 3G). Higher top-ups of £30 and £40 get you 4GB and 6GB respectively, as well as unlimited calls and either Spotify Premium or Sky Sports streaming access. You're probably best springing for the £20 option initially, though, as your welcome bonus to 4G PAYG is unlimited data for the first month. If data is all you're after, PAYG mobile broadband customers can now also access 4G at a minimum cost of £15 for 2GB.
EE expands 4G roaming to 14 more countries, but the USA's still MIA
EE has today announced a fresh batch of countries its customers can take advantage of 4G roaming in, after starting out in France and Spain earlier this year. It's a diverse list, with 4G now available in several other European destinations (Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Moldova, Russia), as well as Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and from tomorrow, South Korea. The USA is the only country absent from the list that EE said would be added by summer, but the network is promising to reach "all major travel destinations" by year's end. While the carrier might be making progress towards this goal, it's still using the tiresome model of selling capped data bundles to travellers. O2 and Vodafone, on the other hand, let you take your normal allowances abroad for a small fee, and Three being Three, provides the same service for free.
Vodafone's Smart 4 power: too expensive for an own-brand 4G phone
4G is now a mainstream technology in the UK, meaning network operators can chase more frugal consumers with low-cost, own-brand handsets. It's unlikely O2 and Three will get involved in this race to the bottom; they simply don't have the experience EE (through its sub-brands Orange and T-Mobile) and Vodafone do in self-made handsets. EE was the first to make a move with the £99 Kestrel, and Vodafone recently launched its rebuttal: a pair of smartphones in the Smart 4 turbo and Smart 4 power. I've already commented on their price tags (£135 and £175, respectively), which are high enough to make you wince considering their competition. And, after spending a little quality time with the higher-end Smart 4 power, I can't say I feel any different.
Vodafone's first own-brand 4G phones could struggle to compete
Last year we would've bet our lunch money on Vodafone being the first UK carrier to release an own-brand LTE smartphone. After all, we spotted a "Vodafone Smart 4G" picking up its roaming permit from the US communications regulator, and only a few weeks after the carrier switched on its UK LTE network. Alas, the phone was destined for other European countries and EE pipped Vodafone to the post with the launch of the 4G-friendly Kestrel. Vodafone's finally caught up, however, releasing a pair of LTE handsets under its own name: the Smart 4 power and Smart 4 turbo (left and right in the image above, respectively). The turbo is the inferior of the two, with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 4.5-inch 854 x 480 display, while the power is outfitted with a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor and 5-inch 960 x 540 screen. Otherwise, both have 1GB of RAM, unspecified amounts of on-board storage (with microSD support), 5-megapixel main shooters, front-facing cameras, and run Android 4.4 KitKat.
EE's homegrown Kestrel smartphone now available for £99
EE announced at the end of March it would be taking its first stab at own-brand hardware with the Kestrel, a 4G handset for thrifty speed merchants. Well, the Android smartphone is now available to buy online or over the phone for £99 on pay-as-you-go, or from £14 per month on EE's new entry-level 4G tariffs. Aside from its price, the Kestrel has a few other things going for it, like a capable quad-core Snapdragon 400 heart and Cat 4 LTE radio which can, in theory, handle the maximum 150Mbps download speeds of EE's "Extra" plans. It's now the cheapest way to jump on EE's ever-expanding 4G network, and we have one in our possession, so keep an eye out for our full review in the near future.
EE's slow killing of Orange and T-Mobile shows it's ready to bet big on 4G
Orange, T-Mobile and EE have managed to coexist together for a number of years now, despite them all being essentially the same company, and all selling similar services. While Orange and T-Mobile used to be large, established names in their own right, 4G darling EE has understandably become by far the most prominent brand of the trio. High-street stores once coloured orange or magenta have long been redressed to EE's preference, and as of fairly recently, the online presence of the 3G-only providers has begun to be absorbed by EE. T-Mobile's site now forwards directly to ee.co.uk, and although Orange's homepage still exists, you can no longer purchase anything from it directly. Previously only of interest to "technofreaks," as Vodafone's CEO once put it, 4G is more or less mainstream. It's only a matter of time before all major networks begin to retire old 3G plans in order to structure themselves more around 4G, and in EE's case, this probably means putting Orange and T-Mobile out to pasture.
UK's EE to launch own-brand LTE smartphone for just £100 off-contract
We got wind that EE was cooking up an own-brand smartphone for its 4G network a couple of weeks ago, and now the UK operator's ready to come clean about the device. It's called the Kestrel, and as we suspected, it'll offer the cheapest ride on EE's LTE network at £100 on pay-as-you-go (PAYG), or free from £14 per month on the new entry-level tariff, when it launches towards the end of April. Now, being £30 less on PAYG than Alcatel's One Touch Idol S (which is also free from £14 per month), a mixed-bag of specs was to be expected. On the plus side, it's packing a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 and as a Cat 4 handset, it's capable of maxing out the theoretical 150Mbps download speeds of EE's "Extra" plans. Not so enticing is the 4.5-inch qHD display (960 x 540), and beyond that, we're looking at 1GB of RAM, 8 gigs of storage (with a microSD slot for expansion), a 2,000mAh battery, 5-megapixel main camera and 1-megapixel front-facer.
EE adds new entry-level 4G tariffs starting at £14 per month
Yesterday, the cheapest way to hop on UK carrier EE's LTE network, with smartphone for keeps, would set you back £19 per month. Today, call it £14, as EE's introduced a pair of lower price tiers in its 24-month, handset-included plans. For that £14, you get 500 minutes, 500MB of data, and unlimited texts. That would've been the same as the £19 per month plan (just with half the minutes) yesterday, but today £19 gets you 1GB of data. The situation is a little different for EE's "double-speed" Extra tariffs. Nothing changes to any of the existing plans, so the new £22 per month option, which gets you 1000 minutes and 2GB of data, just sits in behind the 4GB for £27 tier. Now, these cheaper plans are going to be offset by steeper handset costs, but there are still some thrifty choices. The Alcatel One Touch Idol S is free from £14 per month, as will EE's own Kestrel when it launches, with other phones starting at £20 upfront.
Boost Mobile has a limited-time deal on unlimited LTE data for $35
Remember when you had the option to get unlimited data for $30 on most carriers? Yeah, us too, and we won't hide our envy for those who are grandfathered in. To alleviate some of these troubles, Boost Mobile is kicking off a temporary offer on an all-you-can-have plan, giving folks who sign up for service by March 31st a chance to have unlimited access to voice, text and LTE data for $35 per month. There are a few caveats, however: The deal will only be valid for the first six months of service, after which you'll have to pay the regular monthly fee of $50, and data is set to be throttled once you reach the 2.5GB threshold. If that still sounds good, then head over to Boost's site (or a brick-and-mortar store) to take advantage of the promo before it's too late.
LG G Pad 8.3 with LTE could be on its way to Verizon
With LTE speeds putting coffee-shop WiFi to shame, many tablet makers now produce devices in pairs: one model with WiFi, and another with an extra 4G radio and SIM slot. Not LG's G Pad 8.3, though, as both skinned and Google editions of the slate spurn LTE for the sake of their ol' buddy WiFi. It appears, however, that Verizon may've persuaded LG to pull together a cellular version of the G Pad for its network, if puzzle pieces from a recent FCC filing end up fitting together as we'd expect. All we know from the official docs is that an LG tablet, model number VK810, has been approved for the US market with LTE support for Bands 4 and 13 -- Verizon's magic numbers. As PhoneArena points out, the mystery tablet's dimensions are more or less identical to those of the G Pad 8.3, which is where the trail ends. So, it's more than likely we'll see LG launch a 4G model with Big Red soon, but if being tied down ain't your bag, then at least let its existence foster hopes of a carrier-agnostic LTE model sometime later.
Wilson Electronics' new 4G signal booster doesn't care about carriers
Wilson Electronics is only interested in one thing: boosting cellular signals for those starved of bars. The company's also quite fond of Vegas, and for the third year running, it has made the trip to CES with fresh hardware in tow. Previously, Wilson's boosters have been able to enhance the signal from a couple of carriers at the most, but the new DT4G doesn't care what device you're using, nor which network bills you at the end of the month -- all it cares about is making sure you've got all the 4G, 3G or 2G airwaves you need. It's touted as the very first carrier-agnostic booster, and will be ready to cling to walls "soon" for around $400.
Liquid Image brings LTE to the action cam game with its new Ego LS
Snowy mountaintops and sheer dirt tracks are just a couple of locations fitting for an epic action cam segment, but they're not places you're likely to find a good WiFi connection. Without putting extra hardware at significant risk of destruction, livestreaming just hasn't been possible in many desirable situations. At CES, however, Liquid Image is mixing things up with the introduction of its new Ego LS camera, which we believe is the first to feature LTE connectivity. It's capable of transmitting WQVGA (400 x 240; bummer) video at 30 fps for up to two hours, or still images over 4G. Otherwise, the 8-megapixel cam has WiFi, Bluetooth, and can partner with iOS and Android devices via the Liquid Image app like the outfit's other models. A microSD slot supporting up to 64GB cards keeps you recording at 1080p/30 fps or 720p/60 fps while disconnected, and like other members in the Ego line, it'll be accompanied by various mounts. Two variants of the Ego LS, both with new motion detection and continuous-photo modes, but one with LTE and one without, are slated to launch in June this year with an estimated price tag of $200.
Sprint's LTE rollout gains momentum with addition of 70 new markets
It's been a long slog for LTE latecomer Sprint, but the Hesse-led operator's finally kicking into high gear and getting that 4G coverage out to a significant chunk of its nationwide subscriber base. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the year, Sprint now claims an LTE footprint that spans 300 markets, with 70 added just today including major cities like Orlando, Fla.; San Diego, Calif.; and St. Louis, Mo. And that's just for Sprint's "plain" 4G LTE. Subscribers that are interested in Spark-level speeds (the carrier's enhanced LTE service capable of up to 60 Mbps down) will have to either live in one of the select launch areas or sit tight with that tri-band device a little longer and wonder at the speedy possibilities.
O2 reprices 4G contracts, 1GB plans now start at £17 per month
Now that O2's caught up to its UK competition with the launch of pay-as-you-go and data-only 4G plans, the network's revisited its standard contract tariffs and taken some sting out of those monthly charges. Two-year contracts now start at £17 per month for 1GB of data (unlimited everything else) and go up to £27 per month for 8GB. These are O2 Refresh plans, mind, so there's an additional monthly bill that goes towards the 4G handset you've opted for. In comparison, the cheapest 24-month contract we could find with EE was £19 per month for 500MB of data, 1000 minutes and unlimited texts, as long as you stump up £30 for an Alcatel One Touch Idol S. O2's altered its one-year SIM-only plans, too, now offering 1GB of data for £21 per month, 5GB for £26 and 8GB for £31. Monthly damage on EE for the same data caps are £21, £31 and £41, respectively. O2's revamped tariffs benefit new customers, sure, but there's something in it for existing ones, too. Anyone already on a 4G plan will get a bump to their monthly data limit, and those with 3G contracts can now jump seamlessly over to 4G, as long as their plan is for at least 1GB and they have a 4G-compatible phone. And, if they need to upgrade to an LTE handset, they can leverage a 25 percent saving on the outstanding line rental. We know you love tables, and you'll find one breaking down all of O2's new prices below the fold.
