4G price concerns are growing, study says
More Brits think 4G is too expensive than when it launched back in October, according to a study.
More than a third of British consumers think 4G is too expensive -- that's an increase from back in October, when EE launched the UK's first 4G mobile network.
38 per cent of Brits now think 4G is too pricey, up from 31 per cent back in October, according to price comparison site uSwitch. More people are also worried about going over their data allowance -- 69 per cent, up from 62 per cent in October.
On the plus side, more people are now aware of what 4G is, which is hardly surprising I suppose, given how many Kevin Bacon adverts there have been. 72 per cent of those quizzed knew what 4G is, up from 47 per cent. And despite the price concerns, 48 per cent of us are considering investing in a 4G-ready mobile when our contracts run out, compared to 32 per cent when 4G launched.
But being British, we're still skeptical. Just 16 per cent think 4G will live up to the hype.
For the research, uSwitch polled 1,415 people who owned smart phones.
EE has been slammed for its high prices before, but there's not much those craving the super-fast can do, seeing as it's the only 4G game in town. That'll all change soon though, as the other networks are primed to launch their 4G services in the summer. Prices should take a tumble, as operators vie for our hard-earned. Numerical network Three has already said it won't charge extra for 4G. Is that a gauntlet I see there tossed onto the floor?
Some more good news: 4G will hardly interfere with any households' TV viewing, if the latest study is anything to go by. Just 15 out of the 22,000 homes polled experienced problems with their Freeview TV (which uses the same 800HMz band as some 4G networks). Which was far less than the 120 expected.
Are you excited about 4G? Are you already using EE's offering? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.