Should we get excited by the arrival of 4G in the UK?

[IMG]http://dpnow.com/files/forum/mobile_speedtest.png[/IMG]

[I]My 3G smartphone can already connect to the internet reasonably fast - but only under ideal circumstances, so will 4G make that much difference?[/I]

There has been a lot press coverage in recent days about the imminent launch of 4G mobile broadband service in the UK, starting with EE (Everything Everywhere - which used to be the merged T-Mobile and Orange networks). The UK has been pretty slow to adopt 4G compared to many other countries and there are few smartphones currently on sale in the UK that can actually take advantage of it. And there are two competing standards, too - LTE (Long Term Evolution) which is what EE and its competitors in the UK will roll out shortly and Mobile WiMax, which has been popular in the US and some Asian countries like Korea.

But I am rather sceptical about all the fuss. In theory my 3G Samsung Galaxy Note should be able to download 3G data at over 10 megabits and some say 3G HSPA+, which my Note supports, is capable of over 40 megabits. That would be faster than our fibre (FTTC) broadband which is about 38 megabits.

The problem is that I often struggle to get a fast 3G data connection. At my office there is a mast just a hundred or so yards away and so I get a reasonably good connection; almost 4 megabits down and about 1.5 megabits up. But nine times out of ten the speed I 'enjoy' is just a fraction of that.

So I am wondering if 4G will make that much difference. Sure, it may be 10x faster on paper, but will the every day routine experience be blunted by the usual problems of location in relation to masts and of course physical obstructions sapping the signal.

And in any case - even at just 4 megabits, my monthly download allowance of 750MB would be exhausted in just 25 minutes. How long would it last with 4G?

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16 comments

#14

Ian commented

07-10-12, 10:52 AM

Editing a comment
Have you considered rooting your phone to get a more recent Android OS?
#15

JSR commented

07-10-12, 01:37 PM

Editing a comment
I've vaguely considered it. There are people who have come up with an Alpha version of an ICS for it, with some bits working and other bits not working. It seems risky so, if I look further into it, it'll be when I don't need to rely on it as much.

Kind of catch-22, really. I'd only stick with this phone if I upgraded it, but I'll only risk upgrading it when I don't need to stick with it... :rolleyes:
#16

JSR commented

11-10-12, 10:29 AM

Editing a comment
[quote=Ian;bt964]I got my Note just at the time it was starting to be discounted - just before the S3 came out. In fact the cost of my new 2 year contract is less than my previous contract with an HTC Desire, although less data included. There is a Note 2 out now but I still feel my version is ace (would have been nice to have had 4G though).[/quote]
I'm not usually so radical, but today I chose instead to order the Acer Liquid Gallant Duo. A little more expensive than the smaller phone I was originally looking at, but a larger screen (which is still small to you Note users! ;)). I'm not expecting great wonders from it, but if it lasts me 12-18 months, I'll be fine with that.

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Should we get excited by the arrival of 4G in the UK?

Should we get excited by the arrival of 4G in the UK?