Meagre O2 UK Data Allowances Fail to Impress with New 4G Tariffs

Mobile operator O2 UK (O24G) has finally revealed the price and package details for their new 4G (LTE at 800MHz) based Mobile Broadband network, which is due to go live on 29th August 2013. Unfortunately the new tariffs leave much to be desired, at least where data allowances are concerned.

As with Vodafone and EE before it, O2 will similarly launch their 4G network alongside a less than spectacular selection of data allowances. The cheapest tariff will cost £22 per month when you bundle-in a new smartphone (or £26 SIM-Only) and for that you get Unlimited texts / calls and 1GB (GigaByte) of data.

Admittedly it’s early days yet but Ofcom’s expectation that 4G will soon begin to erode the market for fixed line broadband services is still looking to be someway off from becoming a reality. Thankfully some packages do get a few extra GigaBytes, as part of an introductory offer, but this is only temporary.

In some ways the current situation has become almost comical. Each of the three 4G operators now tout packages that look as if they could have come from a single network, let alone three of them (well.. technical it’s two since Vodafone and O2 have a network sharing deal just like EE/T-Mobile/Orange UK and Three UK).

But in fairness most of the 4G operators do have their own particular promotions and extras that serve to set them aside from each other. EE has its Film service, while Vodafone are bundling Sky Sports TV and Spotify (music) content. So what has O2 got that will help it go “beyond what has already been offered in the 4G market“?

O2’s 4G customers will benefit from a 90 Day Happiness Guarantee (if you aren’t “totally happy” within 90 days then they’ll transfer you to a 3G tariff and give you a bill credit up to £15), 12 months of free O2 Tracks (a music download and streaming service – £1.50 per week thereafter), Priority Sports (exclusive sports videos “from your heroes every week“.. whatever that means) and O2 Games (a bunch of free multiplayer Smartphone games like Modern Combat 4: Zero Hero and Zombiewood). We’re still underwhelmed.

It’s also worth pointing out that O2 has yet to unveil what their dedicated Mobile Broadband (USB Dongle / Modem) tariffs will look like, although apparently this will be revealed before the end of the year. Otherwise O2’s network will initially reach 5 million people in London before expanding to cover 12 other UK cities by the end of 2013 (here). The operator eventually aims to reach 98% of the UK population (indoor and outdoor).