For many consumers, the launch of 4G has been a relatively flat affair. Promises made by operators, particularly EE following their recent monopolisation of the spectrum, have all been heard before: faster speeds, better browsing, ability to watch video. Contract prices have also proved high, leaving little uptake of EE’s top tariff.
This could all be about to change following O2’s, and then Vodafone’s, announcements this month stating their intentions to enter the market by the end of August. For the first time in the UK, EE will face competition.
For consumers, this can only be a good thing: networks will be competing with one another for customers. Advertisers are set to benefit too, with uptake expected to grow considerably as prices come down. This will provide a greater opportunity to make use of 4G, through, among other things, video advertising.
One concern does remain: that of data allowance. While 4G can be expected to be competitive, it may still be that operators try to cap data. Advertisers will understandably have to be careful when placing campaigns, taking data costs into consideration. Nevertheless, for all the hype, we could now be on the verge of seeing the real impact 4G will have for mobile marketing agencies, the customer and the mobile market itself. Whilst this is about to happen, let’s consider the possibilities of 5G and 6G.
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