O2 Slashes 4G Prices

With the competition hotting up between the networks offering 4G, O2 has knocked a fiver off each of its 4G tariffs. As Three rolls out a network that offers unlimited 4G at the same rates as 3G, networks such as O2 are having to rework their 4G tariffs in order to stay competitive.

4G network O2

The Cost of 4G on O2 Tariffs

Refresh tariffs are only available to customers that buy their 4G handset from O2. They all involve a 24 month contract and unlimited minutes and texts, and there is usually an additional cost for the handset. Until 28th February 2014, the available tariffs are:

  • 8GB data – £27 per month
  • 5GB data – £22 per month
  • 1GB data – £17 per month

After 28th February 2014, £22 per month will get you 3GB data, while £27 per month will get you 5GB data.

If you already have a 4G handset and you just want a 4G sim from O2, the prices are slightly higher. Simplicity tariffs are available with 4G, and all involve a 12 month contract and unlimited minutes and texts. The available 4G tariffs on O2 Simplicity are:

  • 8GB data – £31 per month
  • 5GB data – £26 per month
  • 1GB data – £21 per month

Again, these data bundles are only available if you sign up before 28th February 2014. After this date £26 per month will get you 3GB and £31 per month will get you 5GB.

Pay and Go 4G on O2

If you don’t want to commit to a one or two year contract, but you still want to make the most 4G, O2 now has pay as you go offers that get better the longer you use them.

  • £10 per month will get you 75 minutes, 500 texts and 150MB data, increasing to 150 minutes, 1000 texts and 500MB data after three months. After nine months you’ll get unlimited texts.
  • £20 per month will get you 250 minutes, 2500 texts, and 500MB data, increasing to 500 minutes, 5000 texts, and 1GB data after three months. After nine months you’ll get unlimited texts.

The data allowance on these pay as you go options is fairly low, but you can always buy a data bolt on, giving you an extra 1GB for £10.

Free 4G Upgrades for O2’s 3G Customers

Reducing the prices of its 4G tariffs isn’t the only thing to get O2 in the headlines recently. The network is also offering free upgrades to 4G for some of its 3G customers. To qualify for a free upgrade customers need to have a 4G ready handset and to be on a 3G contract with at least 1GB data per month. This step may be in response to Three’s offer to upgrade their customers to 4G for free. There are also special deals available for customers that want to upgrade from a 3G phone, if they already have a high data contract.

With the expansion of the O2 and Vodafone 4G networks, and the initial phases of the Three 4G network all well underway, it is likely that all providers will be reworking their tariffs and offering time limited data bundles over the coming months in order to attract and retain 4G customers.