EE Launch New 4G Max Tariffs with Included EU Roaming and More Data
Mobile operator EE has launched a new range of pay monthly 4GEE Max plans, which promise subscribers the “fastest” 4G based Mobile Broadband speeds, inclusive access to the BT Sport TV App, bigger data caps (up to 40GB) and the ability to use their allowances to “roam like home” when abroad in the EU.
Sadly the new Max plans, which attract a hefty 24 month contract term, are NOT available to SIM Only customers and can instead only be taken with a bundled Handset (i.e. Smartphone). Meanwhile EE appear to have similarly reorganised their existing plans and based them around 4G Internet speeds.
For example, the entry-level 4GEE Essential plans offer access to 4G speeds of up to 20Mbps on EE’s UK network. Meanwhile the normal 4GEE plans offer unlimited UK minutes and texts, slightly bigger data allowances and 4G speeds that are “as fast as fibre broadband” (up to 60Mbps) when users are out and about. Customers on the normal 4GEE plans will also receive unlimited minutes, texts and 500MB of data a month for use abroad in the EU.
Obviously the validity of that “as fast as fibre broadband” claim really depends upon your base of comparison and where your mobile is being tested. True fibre optic (FTTH/P/B) broadband ISPs can deliver 1000Mbps+, while even the best FTTC based hybrid-fibre lines are able to produce up to around 76Mbps and not forgetting Virgin Media’s 200-300Mbps options.
Unfortunately there are far too many handset based variations for us to give any useful examples of live packages, but we can show how much the plans will add to the cost of your handset bundle.
| 4GEE Max plans | |||||
| Price per month | From £25.99 | From £30.99 | From £35.99 | From £40.99 | From £45.99 |
| Data | 3GB | 7GB | 15GB | 25GB | 40GB |
| Download speeds | Fastest 4G Speeds | Fastest 4G Speeds | Fastest 4G Speeds | Fastest 4G Speeds | Fastest 4G Speeds |
| Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Texts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| EU roam like home | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes ** | Yes** |
| BTSport | Inclusive app access for length of plan | Inclusive app access for length of plan | Inclusive app access for length of plan | Inclusive app access for length of plan | Inclusive app access for length of plan |
** Fair Use Policy applies 15GB of data, unlimited minutes & texts in the EU.
| 4GEE plans | |||||
| Price per month | From £20.99 | From £20.99 | From £25.99 | From £30.99 | From £35.99 |
| Data | 1GB | 2GB | 5GB | 10GB | 20GB |
| Download speeds | Up to 60Mbps | Up to 60Mbps | Up to 60Mbps | Up to 60Mbps | Up to 60Mbps |
| Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Texts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| EU roaming allowance | 500MB of data (unlimited minutes & texts) | 500MB of data (unlimited minutes & texts) | 500MB of data (unlimited minutes & texts) | 500MB of data (unlimited minutes & texts) | 500MB of data (unlimited minutes & texts) |
| BTSport | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months |
| 4GEE Essential plans | ||||
| Price per month | From £16.99 | From £18.49 | From £23.49 | From £23.49 |
| Data | 300MB | 500MB | 1GB | 2GB |
| Download speeds | Up to 20Mbps | Up to 20Mbps | Up to 20Mbps | Up to 20Mbps |
| Minutes | 300 | 500 | 750 | 1000 |
| Texts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| BTSport | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months | Free app access for 6 months |
Noel Hamill, EE’s Managing Director of Marketing, said: “Customers want to pair the best smartphone with the best network, so we’ve introduced a new range of plans to offer increased choice and flexibility. This includes our new 4GEE Max plans with inclusive roaming and BT Sport benefits – providing our greatest range of package benefits to date.”
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.
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Is it just me or is mobile data allowances getting smaller and smaller now unless you are willing to pay huge amounts.
i mean 2 days before i was going to get it bt mobile dropped their 20gig down to just 15gig. think i will just stick to 3g as ive noticed my speed slowly getting better as most of the people where i live switch to 4g
Yep, seem that way, but don’t worry you can get 100Mbps to burn through it even faster!!!
I wish there was a reasonably priced unlimited package with speeds even capped at 8-10Mbps, that would be a great option.
A long time back (7-8 years?), I got a monthly 3GB data subscription from Three, on 3G. The full price was £15pm, but as part of a bundle, it came out at £7.50pm. Over the subsequent years, I noticed that prices never really improved from the full price.
Right now, it looks like EE’s entry-level data SIM-only deal is 2GB for £11pm, or 4GB for £17pm.
Prices really haven’t changed, have they?
MikeW the big difference is that amount of data. 7/8 years ago apps and the then smartphones didn’t really consume as much. Also think of the video and audio apps now.
I am on BT SIM only 20GB a month for £16 (£5 discount for being a broadband customer) That’s a steal and also includes tethering. I use approx 16GB per month.
Colin
Its certainly true there is access to much bigger data packages than there used to be – for those that want all that video/audio. But for the smaller entry-level and medium packages, the overall price/GB isn’t significantly different.
That isn’t a surprise. Getting more GB capacity across the country means more masts, which costs.
BTW: BT allowing tethering? They didn’t originally.
MikeW – Yes they do indeed, and that is a change from their original position. I think whilst they were an MVNO provider on EE’s network it was not allowed, but when the deal was concluded this was lifted.
http://tinyurl.com/gwa4uon
That timing makes sense.
It was a deal breaker a year ago; its no longer worth swapping.
The government stifles innovation which means infrastructure will always be behind demand.
Expensive i get 1GB of data for less than EE’s cheapest £16.99 plan (£15 currently)
I get 2GB of data for £7.50 on iD Mobile, very happy.
Great deal TWKND
Don’t forget that, on those plans, you are getting the phone as part of the deal too.
For basic SIM-only deals, the costs seem to be around £7-8 cheaper.
A phone was included in my deal and i get a free upgrade if i want it each year. You are correct though a phone is included but many of them are either pretty low end handsets or older models on the sub £20.99 packages. Couple that, the cost and the 24 month contract and i would not call it good value at all.
The prices don’t look great, do they?
I’ve long since followed the path where I buy the mobile independently, and stick to SIM-only deals.
Right now, I’m paying £4.30pm, and getting 1GB on EE.
“Right now, I’m paying £4.30pm, and getting 1GB on EE.”
With which MVNO would that be with Mike.
None. EE direct.
You just need to start with their PAYG offer, add a £1-per-week data pack, and then just keep accumulating the “free boosts”. Time does the rest.
It started at 100MB per week (430MB per month) – a little low. Right now I’m at 250MB per week, or just over 1.1GB per month.
I am still using a BlackBerry Bold and a keyboard is just brilliant. Unfortunately app support is dying – whatsapp no longer supported at years end.
I do get Worldwide Unlimited data for £15/month, but can’t stop it as I’ll loose it. Total £31/month. Used to be able to use phone as modem for laptop, but now stopped. I can bridge phone to a BlackBerry tablet, which works well. Abroad I’m using 8/9GB/month. So new EE Max plan is interesting.