For those of you that are technically minded, you’ll have heard a lot of talk about 4G. It’s the latest network buzzword in the industry, so we thought we’d pull together some thoughts on what it is, when it’ll happen and what it’ll mean for you.
Over the next three to five years mobile users across the UK will benefit from networks getting even better. They’ll become faster and have more capacity as operators move towards technologies which are widely becoming known as 4G.
There’s a lot of 4G terminology flying around, all of which describe the different technology that a mobile network might be able to operate on, and the different speeds and capacity that these technologies can deliver.
So what are the terms you might hear about?
HSPA+ or High Speed Packet Access+
HSPA+ refers to the next evolution of 3G technology, and will bring increasing theoretical maximum speeds to networks such as Three. It is potentially able to support up to 128Mbps.
LTE or Long Term Evolution.
This is the technology most commonly referred to as 4G. LTE can support network speeds up to a theoretical maximum of 160 Mbps. It also supports improved (lower) latency, which is the measure of a time delay in a system, this results in faster browsing, improved real-time gaming and voice over IP. New radio spectrum is required to introduce LTE and this due to be auctioned by the Government early in 2012. Part of this radio spectrum is currently being used for TV broadcast and this will gradually be made available for mobile between 2012 and 2014 as analogue TV is switched over to digital.
LTE-Advanced
LTE-Advanced will enable theoretical maximum speeds of up to 1Gbps. It will not be available for a few years. Mobile technology is continuing to evolve and as the Government releases further radio spectrum for mobile use, LTE-Advanced is set to be able to make use of it and continue to enhance the experience of the mobile internet.
4G or not 4G?
All the terms above are being used by networks in the UK and the US to refer to 4G technology. This can be somewhat confusing and is mainly being used as a catchall term rather than a strictly technical definition.
These are exciting times. At Three we’ve already spent millions growing the breadth and depth of our 3G network. We’ve upgraded our infrastructure to allow for more data at a faster speed, and so that we can bring price plans to the market that actively encourage our customers to get the most out of their smartphones with all you can eat data.
We currently operate on an HSPA network, and have already started moving towards HSPA+ (initially 21 Mbps). We don’t have any immediate plans to start referring to this technology as 4G as some others have done.
In any case, our customers will certainly see dramatic advances in our network speeds, and we’re really excited about this next step in our journey.
As we advance our network over the next few years with HSPA+, LTE and eventually LTE-Advanced customers will see a number of steps in performance. It’s important to point out that whilst the headline theoretical maximum speeds will increase dramatically the typical user speeds will not increase as much. For example, whilst theoretical maximum speeds will increase from 7.2 Mbps (HSPA) up to 160 Mbps (LTE) average speeds will move from 1.6 Mbps up to about 10 Mbps. Individual customer experience will depend on factors such as how close you are to a mast, the type of building and where you are in a building and how many other customers are using the same mast at the time.
The series of improvements that we’ll be making during our roll-out of HSPA+ and beyond will gradually push speeds up, allowing you to do more things on your phones, tablets and devices. Things like High Definition video calling and conference hosting from phones, multiple player gaming, and HD video streaming with less stuttering.
And we’re not stopping there. We’ll also be trialling LTE on our network for the first time later this year.
The overall result is a better and faster mobile experience. By making these ongoing upgrades, enhancements and developments to our network we’ll continue to provide people across the UK with the best mobile internet service on the market.
171 Responses to Moving towards 4G phones.
Ellie 20/02/2013
@Ross P – Hi Ross, glad to hear you are excited about 4G on Three!
Ross P 20/02/2013
Sign me up for a LTE trial!!!
Ive been using HSPA+ with a mobile router for my main home broadband and VOIP phone (i got rid of my landline completely) for just under a year now and I have no complaints. Its excellent!
I cant wait for threes LTE upgrades!
Ellie 06/02/2013
@Lambu – iPhone 4S is HSPA+ enabled but not Ultrafast enabled.
Lambu 05/02/2013
I am on with three onda 1plan. Will my iPhone4s be compatible on HSPA+ ?
Moderator: Nicki 07/11/2012
@Choo – Our Ultrafast services are being provided across the UK now at no extra charge. It’s too early to say what, if anything, will change when we launch LTE. We’ll continue to offer brilliant value on data in any event.
Remember to receive Ultrafast Internet you’d need a compatible device.
Choo 06/11/2012
Will the 4G upgrades be available to pay as you go customers like myself?
Moderator: Lauren 04/10/2012
@Andie – we’re looking to release 4G in 2013
we’re already delivering some excellent speeds with our HSPA+ upgrades.
Andie 04/10/2012
right I’m wondering weather to get the note 2 on 3?,they couldn’t tell me anything about 4g it’s all in the future as far as they are concerned.ive been in the branch loads to see when the note 2 was comming(they didn’t know!).i even left my phone number for them to loose it lol.when I saw it yesterday I’m so tempted but its 3G .4g is out on the 15th but only with orange And tmobile who ripped me off in the past on Internet charges.i want unlimited so 3 are the best,tmobile offer that 2.do I wait or get 3G with 3 who are brill n don’t rip you off.but phone is on a 2 year contract or go EE n 4g n hope it has unlimited Internet
Moderator: Johanna 30/04/2012
@Muhammad – The reason this handset doesn’t work on our network is that it doesn’t have the UK 3G band 2100MHz. The reason it works on O2 is because they have the 2G 900MHz frequency which is supported by the device.
Muhammad 28/04/2012
Why a 4G handset not working on three UK? Technically the phone should be backward compatible, as I am using O2 sim card right now. By the way the handset is Samsung Exhibit II 4G which is running ginger bread, and if you check on the compatible bands, it does show all the 3G bands in the handset specification. Where is the problem?
BLADESMAN1889 17/04/2012
@ Sedge,
ok will do – thanx for the reply.
Moderator: Sedge 17/04/2012
@Blademan1889 – Unfortunately we can’t confirm the dates here as we’re not a technical team, the best thing to do is give 333 a call or tweet @ThreeUKSupport.
BLADESMAN1889 17/04/2012
Hi,
@ MODS,
Could you tell me when [and if] the work being carried out on my local mast will be complete ?
I was informed by txt about the maintenance but not as to how long – and the network has taken a massive hit in terms of download speeds.
thanx BEN.
Tom 19/03/2012
Why will you not roll out 4G (1gbs/100Mbs)
Why are you holding off on the high speed technology? this is the answer i am trying to find from network providers, but no-one as of yet has given me an answer.
Also, when are we likely to see LTE-Advanced implemented? as true 4G sounds a long way off
Moderator: Johanna 08/03/2012
@Haiden Alexander – Sorry, not sure what you mean by that?
Haiden Alexander 07/03/2012
How much all of this is likely to cost us in the long run.
Dan 28/01/2012
I hope three get a good slice of the 4g auction, they are the only company providing unlimited data which should be a standard by now, anyone watching knows the prologning of data usage is simply a ploy to extend profits where the technology is beyond the need for data usage.
Take O2 they are first to trial 4g but their data package are a mere 300mb allowence are they activley engaged in trying to maintain the stone age?
The whole thing should be flat rate by now including calls.
I just think consumers should support Three for providing flat rate.
Moderator: Kaz 09/01/2012
@Aaron – Never heard of that one before. Interesting.
Aaron 07/01/2012
I enjoy the mbb supplied by three hspda (when it works) I have found that if you place the dongle in an old Sat dish this vastly improves the reception, it is a shame that Huawei did not make it possible to connect a high gain aerial through a crc9 connection or such like. I am looking forward to the evolution of MBB and fully believe the networks should outshine British Telecom and their blatant reluctance to upgrade their network to something fit for purpose.
Sary 12/12/2011
@Johanna, I didn’t mean you were fobbing me off, I mean’t the technical people at 333. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if what they say is true but i’m really not holding my breath. Thanks again.
Moderator: Johanna 12/12/2011
@Sary – Not at all, we just don’t have any more info here and the technical team on 333 are better equipped to run diagnostics for you. If you’d like us to arrange a call for you then let me know and we’ll drop you an email to gather some account details.