UK : T-Mobile announced a range of improvements to its Mobile Broadband portfolio that now sets the standard for simplicity, value and performance and which delivers an unrivalled customer experience at home and abroad.
T-Mobile has evolved its Mobile Broadband service around customers’ needs for fast, reliable access to the internet at competitive rates, and by giving customers the clearest indication of the broadband coverage they can expect. This has been achieved by deploying new technology across the network to increase both download and upload speeds. The superior performance that T-Mobile offers has been independently validated by the leading test house P3 Solutions. The tests benchmark T-Mobile against its competitors by measuring real customer experiences during peak usage hours. The latest results of tests in Greater London reveal that T-Mobile leads the way in the key areas of browsing and download speeds.
T-Mobile has also invested in new technology that facilities the social networking phenomenon. By being the first UK operator to deploy HSUPA technology on a nationwide basis as of 1 July, users will experience up to a fivefold improvement in the time it takes to upload photos and videos to web sites at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps. T-Mobile has also upgraded the underlying download capability of the HSDPA-enabled 3G network to 7.2Mbps, initially within the M25 but rolling out to other major cities during the second half of 2008. This will deliver real maximum mobile broadband speeds of up to 4.5Mbps in those enabled areas.
A number of significant steps have been taken to give laptop users better value when using Mobile Broadband at home and while travelling in Europe. Until 1 October, new customers signing up for the Mobile Broadband Plus 24-month tariff can take advantage of a £5 discount for the first three months, reducing the monthly charge to just £10.
In addition, an 80% reduction in data roaming charges down to £1.50 per Mbyte means that accessing the internet while travelling in EU member countries has never been more affordable. Ease of use remains a key feature of the service – customers simply select an appropriate plan and connect their laptops to the internet with a USB stick or data card. The full range includes Mobile Broadband Plus, Max and Daily.
T-Mobile UK Chief Executive Jim Hyde said: “Mobile Broadband has come of age. Today, 25% of new contract customers are signing up and we expect to quadruple our user base in 2008. We knew mobile broadband would burst on the scene and our continued investment in new technology is paying dividends for customers seeking a fast, consistent service which offers great value. New independent tests show we lead on performance in areas that matter most to customers. We’ve also addressed the growing passion for sharing photos and videos on social networking sites by hiking up upload speeds across the country.”
T-Mobile remains the only network to cap the cost of accessing the internet on the move by charging a monthly flat rate for unlimited access, with no run-on rates and set-up fees. T-Mobile offers the best value fixed-price plans and never charges customers more, even if they go over their allowances.
To promote greater transparency on the performance customers can expect, a new on-line Mobile Broadband checker allows users to verify coverage for a specific postcode. Customers also benefit from being able to connect to the internet at more than 1,000 WiFi HotSpots in key social and business locations such as Starbucks, airports and selected train services such as Heathrow Express. This network of HotSpots is wholly owned and operated by T-Mobile and provides high quality connectivity at speeds of up to 8Mbps and is included at no extra charge in most Mobile Broadband price plans.
Business customers can trial the service before making a commitment and all users have access to the expertise of a dedicated Mobile Broadband UK customer services team.
