Three Mobile customers should soon see much faster speeds when using their smartphones.
The mobile network has just announced a new 4G technology called ‘carrier aggregation’ which it says will improve mobile internet speeds by between 15 and 33 percent.
This upgrade works by instantly responding to mobile internet use in real-time.
This means when more people are using the network in one place more 4G power is supplied to that area.
Over 2,700 sites across cities such as London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow have been upgraded to enable ‘carrier aggregation’, which combines Three’s 4G spectrum bands to release its full power potential.
To take advantage of this update, Three customers must own a device that supports carrier aggregation technology.
You’ll know if you can experience this significant improvement by the 4G+ sign that will appear on your phone.
Three UK has revealed that the average customer is currently consuming 3.5 times more mobile data than the industry average and this upgrade is expected to significantly improve the mobile experience for those users.
Speaking about the changes, Dave Dyson, Chief Executive at Three UK, said: “Three customers are the highest consumers of data, with this trend expected to continue for several years.
“As we ready our network for 5G, we’re moving quickly to put the right technology in place to deliver the most reliable mobile experience for our customers.
“This latest innovation plays a critical role in ensuring our customers will be able to make the most of their mobile devices, both now and in the future.”
The news of this update from Three comes as all the major operators are announcing major upgrades to their services.
Vodafone recently revealed that it has now become “the first company in the UK to carry full 5G over a commercial network”.
The mobile operator claimed its 5G site in Salford, combined with its fibre network, has allowed for such a feat to be achieved.
And just last month EE activated its first 5G trial that was part of its initiative of high capacity testing.
Fotis Karonis, the 5G Technology Lead at BT Group, marked the occasion as the “latest milestone” in EE’s 5G delivery.
He explained: “This is the latest milestone in our 5G rollout – a live test of our 5G network, in a hugely busy ‘hotspot’, where we know there’s going to be demand from customers for increased mobile capacity.
“With constant upgrades to 4G, and laying the foundations for 5G, we’re working to always be able to deliver what our customers need – both consumers and the vertical industries that will make the greatest use of 5G.”
O2 has also begun trailing 5G technology at its famous O2 venue in London.