4G / LTE technology

[Mr Jules]

OK, so I caved in and upgraded my mobile phone deal.

Bought an iPhone 5s 16GB direct from Apple. Took about 2 weeks from placing the order to delivery of the handset. My currently iPhone 4s is now on sale on eBay.  Switched to a Vodafone UK 4G SIM only deal £26 per month (about US$ 42) for the next 12 months. That deal gives you unlimited texts and unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles. Plus 6GB of internet. And free Spotify for the next 6 months.

Currently in the UK, 4G coverage varies from network provider to network provider. With Vodafone UK, 4G coverage is London plus a few other major cities. Vodafone UK intends to over 98% of the UK population by the end of 2015. By the end of this year (2013), it will cover 12 major cities.

So far I am impressed. Living in London does allow me to benefit from 4G coverage everywhere. Getting around 37 mbps download speeds and browsing the internet is comparable to speeds you'd get when connecting your phone to wifi.

What's happening in the States with 4G / LTE and what are the deals like ?

[Razor X]

I just got an iPhone 5 in June.  It has 4G/LTE and usually goes to LTE when I am not connected to wi-fi, which is most of the time.  I am not sure what the difference is between 4G and LTE.  I have a family plan that I share with my parents; my third comes to about $42 a month.

[wutwutman]

Im in Michigan with AT&T.  Running a Samsung Galaxy S4 (sorry about your iPhone lol) and I get 4G most everywhere I am.  I tend to stick to city centers and don't do too much venturing into rural areas.  In major cities (i.e Detroit, Grand Rapids) I get LTE...  LOVE LTE! lol

[Mr Jules]

Razor X, How does the "family plan" work ? There's no equivalent deal in the UK. Is that three phone numbers on one contract ?

Here's an explanation of sorts about the difference between LTE and the various GSs

Just done a speed test here in north London, UK. 4G / LTE here is faster than my home wifi network !

Wutwutman, don't be sorry about the iPhone. Rather like it !!

[Razor X]

Razor X, How does the "family plan" work ? There's no equivalent deal in the UK. Is that three phone numbers on one contract ?

Yes. You can put more than three on a plan if you want to. Not sure what the limit is, but it works out cheaper than buying individual plans.

[geeman]

Are people still buying iPhones? :-)

[Razor X]

Haters!   

[Mr Jules]

BBC British news take on US broadband
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24528383

Apparently it's double what we pay here in the UK.

[slybeard]

I cannot speak for all the facts in the article, but this one is definitely incorrect:

     "The US is the only country in the world that provides a fast streaming cable service to everyone"

First, the US does not provide any cable service, private companies do.  And the service does not cover everyone, only metropolitan areas.  Rural areas and some suburbs only get dial-up or poor quality satellite service.

In many areas, there are limited choices and higher prices.  Where there are more choices, there are lower prices and better/faster service.

Where I live, I have a choice of two providers and I pay $54 per month for 15 Mbps service.  Other choices are $41 for 3 Mbps, $66 for 25 and $100 for 60, all on a fiber optic network.  The other provider available has about the same pricing.

There are many smart phone wireless prices available.  Most US companies offer "family" plans that offer discounts for more phones on the account.  My account has 6 smart phones and the average is about $50 per month each, and includes unlimited voice and text, and 10 Gig of data.