Vodafone to give customers early 4G upgrades

Vodafone is to allow its customers to upgrade their phones early to a 4G device so long as they stay on its network.

The deal is part of a multi-million pound marketing campaign. Dubbed the Vodafone 4G promise, customers on a monthly tariff as well as small business customers can up upgrade early as long as they pay 30 per cent of the remaining contract.

Customers expressing an interest can trade in existing handsets until the end of the year. However, the offer only applies to a limited number of handsets including the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note II. The phones must also be in good working condition to avoid incurring additional costs.

The phones also must have been purchased between 12 September 2012 and 31 March 2013 to be eligible. In the case of the Galaxy S III, the device must be purchased on or after the 26 October.

The 4G contract taken out by the consumer must also be equal to or higher than the value of the original contract. Customers on shared minutes or data plans are not eligible for the deal.

As part of its 4G push, Vodafone has taken out a number of adverts in the national newspapers. In addition to the early upgrade promise, the mobile operator said that its 4G network would work well indoors as well as outside and has committed to offering 98 per cent coverage indoors by 2015.

Vodafone will be launching its 4G network five months earlier than planned following successful talks with Ofcom and major operators to avert legal action over EE's plans to launch its 4G network next week.

EE's 4G network will begin in 10 UK cities; London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow. This will expand to 16 cities before Christmas.