Vodafone UK Announces 4G Service, Rollout Begins August 29

Vodafone, the world’s second largest mobile carrier, has announced that it will begin a 4G network rollout in the United Kingdom on August 29. The company has said that service will begin in London and will expand to twelve more cities within the UK by the end of the year, and is claiming that it will have 98% indoor coverage across the UK within the next few years.

Price plans will begin at £26 a month without a mobile device for unlimited calls, texts, and 2GB of data, or £34 for a plan that includes a 4G ready device, unlimited calls and texts, and 500MB of data, and existing customers with a 4G ready device can upgrade for an additional £5.

Vodafone is also offering customers the chance to trade in devices for discounts toward 4G ready devices, with sign ups beginning on the 12th of this month both in store or online. Notably, Apple's iPhone 5 will not be compatible with Vodafone's 4G LTE service due to differences in frequency support, although many expect the issue to be resolved with the launch of the iPhone 5S as soon as next month.

The company is also offering unlimited data for the first three months of service when a customer signs up with a new plan, as well as a promotional deal for Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile TV for six months depending on the tariff.

Vodafone's announcement news comes after O2 announced last week that it would become the second British carrier to offer 4G service, and also joins carrier EE, which launched its 4G network last October. Currently, EE’s 4G network is the only one of the three British carriers to be compatible with the iPhone 5’s 4G LTE bands.