3Vector P-BFollowing the launches of O2, Vodafone, and EE's 4G LTE networks in the UK, mobile service provider Three has announced that it is launching its 4G network within the region by December. Existing customers on Three's network will get 4G service at no extra charge upon launch, with plans for new customers being priced competitively against other carriers.

Three's LTE service is notable for being compatible with the iPhone 5's network bands, and will also allow consumers to select devices that are compatible with the new service. The company also announced earlier this week that it would abolish roaming charges for service in seven countries.

I'm really pleased to announce, that in December, London, Birmingham and Manchester will see the start of our 4G roll out. That’s not a bad early Christmas present is it? Even better than that, we'll be busy rolling out in a further 50 cities by the end of 2014. And by the end of 2015? Well we aim to have covered a massive 98% of the population by then.

The carrier also plans to include its "All You Can Eat" data plans in its new 4G service at no extra cost. Three's service in the UK was originally launched in 2003, and had a total of 8.8 million subscribers as of 2012.

Top Rated Comments

davidjearly Avatar
152 months ago
Three are a fantastic network for just about everything.

The customer service has improved dramatically in recent years.
The signal is great (particularly within or close to cities).
The network speeds are unbeatable.
The data packages are unbeatable.

Having used all networks in the UK, Three are by far the best (IMO). Perfect coverage everywhere I have been/travel to (a lot of different areas).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
leon44 Avatar
152 months ago
3 was notoriously **** about 5 years ago, Alan Carr even had a specific stand up routine about how you couldn't get any signal on 3.
Now I can honestly say it's slowly somehow become the best network in the UK. Fast unlimited 3G almost everywhere and cheaper than anyone else. They're not wasting their money on free gimmicks and ridiculously high profile marketing campaigns, they're just undercutting everyone and being better. Nice one 3.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
retrospek Avatar
152 months ago
I love Three.. For 18 pounds per month I get unlimited data, 2000 minutes and 2000 texts...

My only complaint is I wish they would implement Visual Voicemail !
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kaldezar Avatar
152 months ago
Geez Louis, we've had all u can eat and 4g since five years ago. UK really is behind Asia

Yeah but I'd rather be in London than anywhere in Asia!:)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winston1236 Avatar
152 months ago
I thought the UK was ahead of the US in terms of cell service but it sounds like the UK was behind and is now catching up ?

No but the US is way ahead in charging way too much for it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmmo20 Avatar
152 months ago
It says it quite clearly in the article posted by Macrumors....

Existing customers on Three's network will get 4G service at no extra charge upon launch, with plans for new customers being priced competitively against other carriers.

----------



In the article...

Existing customers on Three's network will get 4G service at no extra charge upon launch, with plans for new customers being priced competitively against other carriers.

----------

REMEMBER
With Three, there is no 2 or 2.5G fallback. If you can't get a 3G signal you can't make calls.
With EE, they have the best 2/2.5G network so if 3G/4G isn't available you can still make calls.

When I was on Three, call quality was often poor. I've been on EE since January and its excellent.

http://blog.three.co.uk/2013/08/29/get-ready-for-4g/

Nothing about existing customers. So it's just macrumors doing creative writing.

And regarding fallback, the other networks (namely EE but also O2) rely too much on this legacy network and failt to upgrade/improve 3G networks so often I have full 3G on three and I'm only able to get full EDGE (2.5) service on my tmobile sim card. Similar thing with O2 (I used o2 before three).

Three is the only provider that consistently gives me full internet and excellent signal pretty much anywhere I go. Signal for others (again: EE-O2) is patchy very often, and yes you can receive calls on their legacy networks but pretty much nothing else.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...