Take That, EE! Three U.K. Will Give Customers 4G Access At No Additional Cost

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EE launched the United Kingdom’s first 4G LTE network back in October 2012, and with it came some pretty expensive price plans; the carrier has certainly been taking advantage of the fact that it has the U.K.’s only 4G network. But that approach is going to be spoiled by rival carrier Three.

Already the cheapest of all the U.K.’s major providers, Three is looking to maintain its position by promising its customers that they won’t pay any extra for 4G connectivity.

So if you already have a 3G plan with Three, you’ll get 4G access for exactly the same price — all you’ll need is a 4G smartphone. And this isn’t just exclusive to existing customers, either. New customers can sign up to a 4G plan as well, and they’ll pay the same price.

“As we add the next wave of technology to our Ultrafast network, we’ve listened to our customers and thought long and hard about the right way to do it,” said Three CEO Dave Dyson. “We don’t want to limit Ultrafast services to a select few based on a premium price and we’ve decided our customers will get this service as standard.”

Three’s decision to maintain its prices will make it significantly cheaper than EE when it comes to 4G connectivity. We knew that 4G prices would fall when other carriers entered the game, but Three has really shaken things up. EE will likely have to reduce its prices in the future if it wishes to compete, while other carriers — who will also be introducing 4G networks this year — will have to consider whether they will charge customers a premium for 4G.

We don’t have know when Three’s 4G network will launch, unfortunately, but the carrier has promised it will come “later this year.”