A Look at vodafoneThree takes aim at EE with “up to 4x faster” 5G+ plans

VodafoneThree is staking its claim as the UK’s top network with an ambitious range of new 5G+ plans. But all is not quite as it seems.

The network, which was formed following the completion of a merger last year, is going after market leader EE with its new ‘Vodafone SuperMobile’ plans.

On paper, these plans sound excellent with “up to 4x-faster speeds than its standard plans”. There are also minimum speed guarantees, robust encryption and built-in ‘Secure Net Mobile’ malware and virus protection.

So, should EE and O2 be worried? Not if you dive into the small print.

Not as impressive as it appears

An “up to” claim should always draw scepticism, and in this case, it’s no different.

While VodafoneThree indicates that 4x faster speeds are possible, it requires a pretty unique set of circumstances.

Firstly, it’ll only be available in so-called “high-demand areas”. It’s not clear exactly how the company defines this, but presumably means only densely populated towns and cities.

Even then, you’ll need to be in an area with Vodafone 5G+ support. The network says coverage is “exceeding half of the UK’s population”, but that still leaves millions of people ineligible.

So, what speeds will you actually get? If you’re in a 5G+ area, the only guarantee is that it won’t drop lower than 15 Mbps. That might sound underwhelming, but it’s plenty fast enough to do most things on a phone. As most people can attest to, getting 5G to work at all in busy areas can be a real challenge.

VodafoneThree

The reality is that the chance of you getting 4x faster speeds than you’re already getting on a VodafoneThree 5G plan is very slim. But being prioritised for signal strength and security measures might just make it worth it for many people.

How much you’ll pay depends on which plan you opt for. It’s only £3 per month if you already pay for a full-speed Xtra plan, but £4 more on 100 Mbps plans with the phone included or £8 more if you’re on the equivalent SIM-only deal. If you prefer the flexibility of a monthly rolling add-on, it’s £12 extra per month.

Living room TV on the go

Not content with shaking up 5G networking, VodafoneThree is also going after the world of entertainment.

Its new ‘Vodafone TV’ platform aims to bring all your entertainment into one place, making it easily streamable from home or via a mobile device. It uses Freely’s subscription-free live TV platform, but integrates all the usual catch-up services, plus Netflix and HBO Max.

You also get access to the Google Play Store, where a further 300+ apps are available, including many games.

VodafoneThree

But it’s the companion app that really sets Vodafone TV apart. It aims to deliver the exact same rich entertainment platform from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling customers to pick up exactly where they left off at home.

Vodafone TV will be available to all Vodafone home broadband, 5G broadband and mobile customers from October at no extra cost. Though of course, you’ll still need individual subscriptions to watch on many of the platforms and a TV licence to watch live TV.