UK mobile operator Vodafone is set to wait until this coming September until the company looks to launch its 4G LTE upgrade, according to The Guardian. The newspaper states Vodafone will miss the original target window of summer to launch 4G services and compete with EE. It's believed the delay will be in place for a compatible iPhone, but we could also be witnessing support for Nokia's new flagship.
Vodafone will be utilising 800MHz and 2600MHz, which isn't currently supported by the iPhone 5 in Europe (the device works with 1800MHz frequencies used by rival EE). Some Windows Phones support multiple LTE bands, so we could also be seeing a delay for the Nokia Lumia 925 (which will be made available later this year). Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao had the following to say on the roll-out:
"We are convinced our own 4G will be better performing. We want to be able to launch it when it's really ready. End of the summer means when there is going to be a good commercial window for launching it."
It wouldn't be a far-fetched idea for Vodafone to want to sport both the iPhone and Lumia 925 when pushing its 4G network upgrades. This also provides the company more time to get everything in place and mobile phone plans finalised to really drive 4G into the UK market. It appears as though mobile networks in the UK aren't in a hurry to tackle EE's 4G dominance and are instead opting to launch LTE when ready.
For the time being, should you reside in the UK and wish to take advantage of LTE speeds, you'll be required to check EE out. We'll continue to recommend consumers to wait until other major operators join EE in the 4G realm, which should drive down pricing and by that point we should see better coverage for consumers.
Source: Guardian
