One of the nasty traits of the US mobile market is download limitations, you get to your peak and then knocked down to EDGE or alike, or charged for over usage at the cost of a small countries GNP. If you want more than 8g of data then you better have deep pockets. Only US T-Mobile have some kind of half decent plan which you have to look around for, their website is wooful to use at best, which means you have to find a Walmart to get their best exclusive deal.
The other other alternative is Virgin, then you are at the mercy of crappy phones they sell you on CDMA, so no SIM card to replace when going overseas, and thats 3G only. Verizon, Sprint and AT&T have mind bending costs which would have UK consumers running for the cups and string in a heartbeat.
It would seem the UK market have been watching, especially Vodafone who still own part of Verizon.
Data limits are back and for the foreseeable future if you want 4G, you will have to keep an eye on your download limits AND you bank account.
We all love new technology, we all want the latest handsets, gadgets which cost a premium and yes 4G wasn't cheap to install, however its just pure profiteering when the price gap is £10-£15 a month for far less in return. Maybe its a good job that modern phones are dead by 9pm after a days work, as I wouldn't want to be bored and drunk with a phone over the download limits in my hand. So who is offering what ?
O2 hand announced their 4G packages, Price wise, SIM only packages will range from 1GB for £26/month to 5GB for £36/month. The price range if you take an O2 handset is £22 (1GB) through to £37 ($50) for 8GB, but you also have to add the price of the mobile device which will be in the range of £10 to £25 on top.
Vodafone are around the same cost for SIM only but only ask for a 12 month contract which is a slightly better term than the normal 24 months the others are asking for.
EE are offering 8G for a whopping £41 a month SIM only.
£36- £41 for SIM only and 8G of data ?! Are you serious ?! My last T-Mobile contract was £32 a month for unlimited everything with a £600 handset thrown into the deal, their HSDPA 3.5G was always fast and reliable, did I ever think, boy this is slow I wish it was that bit faster ! Well ?! No, never.
Why do we need 4G ? I suspect 80% of mobile users check a bit of email, and post they have two pencils up their noses and pants on their head shouting 'wibble' onto facebook. Then followed by a humorous YouTube clip of their uncle Bernard lighting his own fart. The odd tweet about you boss who is a bit of a moron, or maybe a Google+ +1 for someone who posted something profound. Either way, as data usage goes, most phone users are casual in their well usage. Doing all that faster than before wouldn't be much of an interest....would it ? At the additional £300-£400 cost over the term of a 24 month contract ?!
Its also good for the - "look I'm first gang" which you could accuse any geek to be guilty of but being first doesn't mean you have to be crazy.
Which brings us nicely onto the last mobile provider to come to 4G, definitely not part of the "look I'm first gang" - they have promised to upgrade current customers to 4G when it comes along, and get this, at no additional cost.
Included is their superb "All-You-Can-Eat" deal which blows all the other providers out the water.
Now not one to grumble or pick holes, 3 have had an appalling record in customer service. As has T-Mobile and their phone abyss customer service system but once you speak to someone normally its pretty good, but 3 have a damaged rep.
If they can address the customer service experience, then 3 will be getting plenty of customers not wanting to spend £800+ a year for a mobile phone with the other providers.