EE cuts 4G prices for limited time and debuts 20GB allowance

Network provider EE is offering up a cut-price promotion for its 4G superfast network from January to March in a bid to boost uptake of the service.

Pricing for the entry-level plan has been cut from 36 to 31 per month. Users will be offered unlimited calls and texts together with 500MB.

EE is also offering users the chance to buy either the HTC One SV LTE or Nokia Lumia 820 for an upfront fee of 29.99.

When questioned as to whether this promotion was an attempt to kick-start the slow uptake of 4G, EE said no.

The promotion doesn't come as a surprise as consumers gave the original pricing the thumbs down when it was unveiled in October.

Some 72 per cent of respondents polled in a ThinkBroadband.com survey said EE's 4G pricing would put them off upgrading to the superfast network.

When questioned as to whether this promotion was an attempt to kick-start the slow uptake of 4G, EE said no.

"We've been very pleased with the customer response to the launch of EE," an EE spokesperson told IT Pro.

"While these plans are available with a range of handsets, they are primarily designed [for] customers to pair one of our growing selection of lower-cost 4G smartphones (HTC One SV LTE, Lumia 820, Huawei P1 LTE) with a low-cost 4G EE plan."

As well as taking on customer feedback about pricing, EE also claims that users have been asking for increased data allowance. The current maximum allowance offered to consumers is 8GB.

The network has unveiled a mammoth 20GB allowance for "super-users", which it claims make up less than one per cent of its customer base.

These "super-users" are likely to consume large quantities of video content and with an allowance of this size could conceivably use their 4G devices instead of fixed-wire broadband connections at home.

The 20GB plan is bundled with unlimited UK calls and texts and is available from today.

EE is offering this as a 12 month SIM-only plan and will charge 46 per month for users who sign up before 28 February. Those who sign up from 1 March will be charged 61 per month for the same package which will cost users an additional 180 over the course of the contract.

EE has also announced it will offer a new SIM-only 12 month 8GB plan for 41 per month.