Vodafone celebrates signing up half a million 4G customers

Vodafone UK claims 500,000 customers are now using its 4G network, six months after it was activated.

In contrast, it took rival operator EE seven months to sign up half a million users to its 4G network.

Vodafone used the announcement to shed some light on the usage trends it has witnessed since switching on its 4G network in August 2013.

For example, it claims 4G users are using twice as much data as those signed up to 3G plans, with the former using 300TB of data in December alone.

It initially launched its 4G network in 13 cities last year, and has since expanded it to a further 115 towns and districts across the UK. It also claims to be continually enhancing coverage in areas where the superfast network is already live.

As such, the company claims its 4G services are now available to 36 per cent of the UK population.

That being said, it still has some way to go to hit its target of delivering indoor 4G coverage to 98 per cent of the population by 2015.

The network operator has taken a slightly different approach to its 4G rivals by offering customers access to either Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile TV as an upgrade incentive.

Jeroen Hoencamp, CEO of Vodafone UK, said the take-up of its 4G packages has been bolstered by its decision to bundle entertainment services with them.

"4G is also proving a big hit with our SME customers such as NearDesk and Fulham FC where high speed downloads, HD video and video conferencing are driving productivity," Hoencamp added.

"4G is quickly changing the way the UK works. It's making a huge impact on our corporate and public sector customers who really see the value of 4G connectivity."