4G mobile phone service to launch tomorrow

Nolars

"Ireland's first 4G mobile phone service will be launched tomorrow.
Eircom is to become the first operator to offer the high-speed fourth generation technology to the Irish market, through its Meteor and eMobile brands.
4G technology uses newly freed up bandwidth in the radio spectrum to provide greatly increased data speeds."


http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0925/476461-4g-service/


http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/34307-eircom-to-launch-first-4g/

watty

Not with the small channels and more than one operator once there are customers.

Faster 4G needs 3 x 20MHz channels per operator. No-one in Ireland has that. They have some 5 MHz channels. So 1/4 of the oft quoted LTE speeds once there are real users and not just a demo to a few journalists.

smee again

The BS has started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c5L-qRVODg

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/4g-meteor-emobile-network-data-connection-1100092-Sep2013/

bealtine

smee again wrote: »

The BS has started.

What a load of ill-informed bs...just what the mtelcos want the media to print. For those who remember 21Mb/s and 42Mb/s demos for 3G the real (non) story should be obvious

watty

Tell me in 2 years what the average speed is and the distribution curve of speed vs users.

Nolars

Browsing Meteor.ie https://store.meteor.ie/phones/bill-pay-phones/galaxy-S4

Such a joke they only offer 4g on the highest 2 packages with 3gb & 6gb data.

smee again

Nolars wrote: »

Browsing Meteor.ie https://store.meteor.ie/phones/bill-pay-phones/galaxy-S4

Such a joke they only offer 4g on the highest 2 packages with 3gb & 6gb data.

Plans are:
30 days 14.99 6gb
12 mth 20.32 10gb
18 mth 29.99 30gb

from here: http://www.boards.ie/ttfpost/86728151

watty

4G is more expensive. 3G/HSPA Data is subsidised by GSM & 3G voice (more efficient than 4G voice) and texts (cost nothing). 4G LTE has no native test or voice. Everything is IP based data. This makes Internet use more efficient and management simpler, but means voice is VOIP or switch to a 3G band and "txts" are not free to operator but over the IP infrastructure.

Also the only way to avoid congestion due to too many users and actually make profit is to charge x3 to x5 current 3G data packages. Those prices are not profitable. They are too cheap and loss making!

Also the speed is meaningless without a much bigger "cap".

Capt'n Midnight

Map https://store.meteor.ie/4g/ Dublin, Athlone, Carlow


Plans - IF it was possible to connect at 48Mbps then you could in theory download 1GB in about 3 minutes - though it says "unlimited" until march ?

https://store.meteor.ie/4g/#

MEGA SIMO 4G
€30.00 /month
€30.00 in store
unlimited mins
unlimited texts
1GB internet
Free Meteor calls & texts
1 month SIM only contract


ESSENTIAL 4G
€49.00 /month
€49.00 in store
unlimited mins
unlimited texts
3GB internet
24 month contract



CLASSIC 4G
€59.00 /month
€59.00 in store
unlimited mins
unlimited texts
6GB internet
24 month contract


Plus, get unlimited internet until March 2014 on all these plans

watty

Maybe if you got a signal from two channels (not sure if ANY modem does this) and no-one using the mast or neighbour and you less than 500m maybe 48Mbps is possible. But I doubt it.

Reliable 48MBps needs operators with 3 x 20MHz (or ideally 6 x 20MHz) channels. Because Comreg split the 1800 and 800MHz among separate operators the channels are 5MHz. So 1/4 the speed of "headline catching" LTE/4G.

Also every time you double distance from mast you have 1/4 speed.

If 10 people only trying to watch video then the speed is 1/10th of what it would be for one person connected in your location.

I'm sure we will hear "gushing" reports of the "unloaded" speed (no customers or hardly any) network from good locations.

unlimited internet until March 2014

Because they expect it will take four months before there are significant numbers of users?

Never buy into a longer term contract because of a short term offer.