Three UK Begins Low Key 4G LTE Mobile Broadband Rollout

It started with a whimper. Mobile operator Three UK has quietly revealed, through a small mention in an unrelated press release, that its new superfast 4G (LTE at 800MHz and 1800MHz) based Mobile Broadband network has now finally started to go live for existing customers “at no extra cost“.

The GO LIVE switch was officially flicked on Monday 2nd December for customers with a 4G-ready device in parts of London, Birmingham and Manchester, although the initial deployment could perhaps be described as more of a trial.

The roll-out is expected to accelerate in January 2014 and all customers with a compatible device should thus be able to access 4G “at no extra cost” by the end of Q1 2014, assuming they are in an area with 4G coverage.

Dave Dyson, CEO of Three UK, said:

“We are building a brand and network that encourages and enables customers to enjoy the mobile internet. Customers are using more data than ever on Three, far more than on any other network. As we add 4G capacity to the network, this experience will only get better.”

Three UK aims to cover 50 cities with 4G by the end of 2014 and 98% of the population by the end of 2015. Customers have been told to expect early 4G speeds of around 14Mbps, although naturally some areas might be significantly slower and others a lot faster. The rough deployment plan is currently as follows.