O2 and Vodafone launched their 4G LTE networks on the same date, and now the companies are expanding at the same time, too. TechRadar reports that the two companies both added five new cities to their 4G LTE coverage maps today. O2 is rolling 4G out to Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield, which brings its total number of cities to eight. Vodafone is adding coverage for the same cities beginning September 28.
Earlier this month, Vodafone announced that it would be giving 4G-ready customers who have already taken out a 4G plan with an extra 4 GB of data. Dubbed 4GBonus, the promotion gives existing and new customers an additional 4 GB of data every month. If you want in on this, you'll need to sign up before the end of October to avail yourself of the promotion. Indeed, 6 GB of 4G data for £26 per month (Vodafone's cheapest 4G plan) isn't a bad deal at all.
The offer puts Vodafone at the forefront when it comes to value for 4G data. The company's plans go up to £36 for 12 GB of data (again, with the bonus included). Meanwhile, O2 and EE are offering 1 GB of data on their £26 SIM-only 4G plans. Between Vodafone's high data caps and 3UK's plans to offer 4G coverage for free come December, things are certainly heating up in the 4G space.
O2 promised a 'mind-blowingly aggressive' roll-out earlier this year, and now that it has gotten started, the company plans to continue adding more cities before the year is out. O2 has said it will add five more cities to its coverage map by the end of 2013, and Vodafone plans to add more at the end of October. Vodafone is planning 4G coverage for 98 percent of the UK popular 'over the next couple of years,' while O2 is hoping for 13 cities by the end of the year and 98 percent of the UK population with its 2G, 3G, and 4G networks by the end of 2014.
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