With O2 and Vodafone's simultaneous 4G LTE roll outs, the UK's 4G market is suddenly looking a lot more interesting. Up until currently, it's just been EE. Now it's a party!! Well, if you thought two more players made things interesting, you haven't heard Three's plan.
The carrier this week announced that it will offer 4G LTE service to its customers for free. The catch is that customers will have to wait until Three actually launches its network, which won't be until December. 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.
Three says that the December launch will include London, Birmingham, and Manchester. It plans to add a further 50 cities in 2014, and is aiming for 98 percent of the UK by the end of 2015. Comparatively, O2 is looking to cover 13 cities by the end of the year, while Vodafone is aiming for 12 cities. EE just hit 100 towns covered and hopes to have 98 percent of the population covered by the end of 2014 (though it's important to factor in the fact that EE had a one year jump on the competition).
Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
