Ofcom finds the British public aren’t flocking to 4G

Ofcom research has found that many of the British public just aren’t that excited about 4G.

Over half the population of the UK own a smartphone, but 22% of those strongly disagree that they will sign up for 4G in the future. People seem to be put off by jargon and are unsure of the benefits of the upgrade.

Three in ten people, however, said that they would move over to 4G but they are still bound to their current contracts and will have to wait for it to run out to avoid cancellation costs.

Jessica Ekholm, the research’s director from Gartner, has said that people might be unsure about the benefits of 4G and that is why they are avoiding it.

“4G is new and doesn’t mean much to consumers,” said Ekholm. “Any technology is intangible − people ask: ‘What does it mean to me?’ It needs to go viral. It needs people’s friends and family to say ‘4G is fantastic’.”

Currently only EE offer 4G and you do have to pay extra for the service. Could this extra payment and the possibility of having to swap networks be putting people off?

Indra Wignall

For more information on 4G check out the EE website.