4G SIM NewsThe rollout of 4G from Three is progressing quickly and the network says over three million of its customers are now able to use 4G at no additional cost.
Three has over eight million customers in the UK and more than a third of these (3.1 million) are now getting to enjoy the benefits of 4G. Three customers are all eligible for 4G as long as they have a 4G enabled handset, and they are automatically upgraded to 4G at no extra cost when the network is rolled out in their area. The Three 4G network now covers 48% of the UK population and Three reports that customer satisfaction with network experience at its highest ever. In the space of two years Three has gone from being the most complained about network to the least complained about network according to Ofcom.
According to Dave Dyson, Chief Executive of Three, “The rollout of new capacity is progressing well and, most importantly for me, customer satisfaction is higher than ever. With an advanced 3G network already in place all our customers are able to benefit from a reliable and high performing network.”
Rapid growth of 4G from Three
The expansion of Three’s 4G network has been rapid and is expected to carry on at the same pace, with 98% of the population likely to have coverage by the end of 2015. As part of this expansion Three is implementing new technology to support low frequency 800MHz spectrum. This will improve both indoor and rural coverage.
Three prides itself on offering an enhanced customer experience, and this may have helped it to add almost half a million (478,000) new active customers during 2014, resulting in an Earnings Before Interest and Tax of £314m.
It’s not just Three’s customer base that is growing – the amount of data customers are using is increasing too. In December 2013 the average data usage per customer was 2.0GB per month, whereas in December 2014 this had grown to 3.3GB per month, undoubtedly as a result of the introduction of 4G and all you can eat data.
According to Richard Woodward, Chief Financial Officer of Three, “Our 2014 financial results demonstrate the successful execution of our strategy. New and existing customers are increasingly attracted to Three for our quality data network and offers like Feel At Home, which also means they are choosing to spend more and stay longer because of the value they receive. Our focus has been, and will continue to be, on giving our customers the best and fairest mobile experience available to support our financial growth.”
Feel At Home roaming service
The Feel At Home service that Woodward refers to allows Three customers to enjoy roaming at no additional cost in a number of countries including the USA, France, Italy and Australia. Over the past couple of weeks Spain and New Zealand have been added to the list, and Three believes that this means around 65% of its customers’ overseas trips will be covered by the service.
The Feel At Home service is attracting new customers that travel frequently for business or leisure, and over a third of customers that switch to Three cite Feel At Home as one of the reasons. During 2014 average data use per overseas customer was around thirty times higher in Feel At Home countries than in those countries not covered by the service.
According to Dave Dyson, Chief Executive of Three, “By listening to our customers and focusing on their needs, our customers are happier than ever and their positive word of mouth is helping to attract more customers to Three. We will continue to enhance our network and provide the plans and offers to help customers stay connected in more places both in the UK and overseas.”