Three to launch 4G in December, at no extra cost to existing customers

Three will continue to offer 'all you can eat data' to customers on 4G

Mobile operator Three UK has confirmed that it will be launching its 4G services in December, and said that existing customers with 4G-ready devices will be able to access the services at no extra cost.

Rival operators O2 and Vodafone have joined EE in rolling out 4G services to consumers in the UK. O2's services will launch first in London, Leeds and Bradford, while Vodafone is restricting coverage to parts of London for now. Meanwhile, EE, which had a head start in launching its 4G services, is now available in more than 100 towns across the UK.

But while O2, Vodafone and EE are all charging premium prices for 4G packages, Three said it would not charge its customers an additional fee to use the 4G services.

"There are no new contracts to sign, no need to change tariffs or swap SIMs," a Three statement said. "Three will also continue to offer ‘all you can eat data', as part of its voice plans."

Three said its rollout will reach 98 per cent of the UK's population by the end of 2015 and will be available in 50 cities in the UK by the end of 2013.

The mobile operator explained that when 4G launches on its network, those customers with 4G-ready devices would need to upgrade their software, but that they would not be required to go into a Three store to be able to do so.