Three UK Details 4G LTE Roll Out Roadmap

Three UK is at a distinct disadvantage in the UK market right now. As of two weeks ago, O2, Vodafone, and EE all have some sort of 4G LTE network in place. Still, despite the fact that it has not yet rolled out any 4G service, the carrier is determined to not let people forget about its upcoming 4G LTE plans.

Three recently revealed that it will launch its service in December. The company has since detailed its roadmap for its planned 4G roll out. The carrier will start with London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Reading. The company's plans for 2014 include roll outs in Aberdeen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Gloucester, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kingston Upon Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Milton Keynes, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northhampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Slough, Southampton, Southend on Sea, Stoke on Trent, Stockport, Swindon, Watford, and York.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Three's 4G plans is that the carrier will offer customers 4G data at no extra cost. In a post published the same day that O2 and Vodafone celebrated their respective LTE launches, Three said that every customer with a 4G-ready device will get a 4G upgrade at no extra cost. No new contract, no new SIM, and no new monthly charges. The carrier is aiming for 98 percent coverage of the UK by the end of 2015.

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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.