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[Taxi_Driver]

Im thinking about getting rid of my iphone4 and my landline (landline is only used for internet, never make calls on it)
Replace them with a 4G phone (thinking about Sony experia M2, £120 from GiffGaff) , upgrade to £15 4G goodybag (which gives 3GB of data 500 mins of calls and unlimited texts / month)
Then tether my lappy to the phone.....

Does anyone already do this? I was wondering what the data speed would be like on 4G?

[Sir Tigger KC]

I guess your only issue will be with data limits. 

I have an unlimited data contract with 3 at the moment and tethering is allowed so I generally use about 18 - 20 GB's a month.  Sadly my 2 years is up in June and I've heard that 3 are changing the terms of these contracts as soon as they can and won't allow tethering. 

So if they do that I'll be looking at changing. 

[Taxi_Driver]

Last year when it took Openreach over a month to fix my phone line, I used a blackberry phone with 3G using a 3GB gigabag and I don't think I used over half the limit! Mind you, I was careful not do to any big downloads.....

[Mr Skrunts]

I would test the 4G before commiting to it completely.

I have 2 contacts, O2 on 4G, and Three on on 3G (The One Plan)

I got the O2 because of poor signal quality on Three when 4G rolled out, I tried Vodafone (PAYG) but not not even 1 bar signal.

O2 at home is just basic and no 4G, but venture into town (Retail world(Rotherham)) I did a speedtest and got 43Mb/s (I know the test isnt the best way, but good enough for comaparison purposes) then moved 1/2 a mile up the road and got 18Mb/s, both readings are supposedly in an area not covered by 4G so not sure why the speeds are achieved (phone displayed it was 4G) but then I can go to the Sheffield Parkway market (An area covered by 4G) and get no coverage at all)

[chrisgixer]

4g data speeds depend on signal of course and also capacity (how many users are on at peak times etc)

O2 struggle with both Ime, although signal strength is surprisingly widespread from what I was expecting, especially in some rural areas. Thing is, even on their 3G network, you can have a full signal yet still get lag in downloads of the network is busy. The lag is comparatively less on 4g due to less take up over 3G , but it's there.

EE however have no such issues I gather. Bit like Mercedes in f1, they had at least a year head start and it shows. Much wider spread 4g signal, generally, and higher speeds again indicate less issues with capacity.

O2 4g download speeds can reach 15mbps. EE in some cases as high as 38mbps.



O2 however are ripe for a sale to 3. So their 4g network could improve greatly if that happens. Along with improvements on 2g calls which is why EE/Orange is no good for me currently.

[zirk]

All the good advice has pretty much been said really. 

Really depends on how much data you need and for what use, as for speed, as said a really good signal is needed (ideally from a number of Base Station Sites, rather than just rely on one), even then your in the hands of the Network Data Management, which most Networks use now, and can see stripped down to a bare minimum, so questionable as to whether 4G its a direct replacement for home broadband.

If your just trying to save some dosh on the Broadband front, some providers will supply you a basic package without the phone side, fairly sure Virgin do or did a no phone line required deal.

Although Im not a fan of EE, of late there doing there best to convince me otherwise, they are coming on stream very well now, and when there 4G speeds drop to 3G (HSDPA+) you can still get decent speeds on it, Ive seen speeds of around 15mb on 3g.HSDPA when I did some tests. They also have some deals up there sleeves for existing Customers that aren't normally advertised ie, 15GB data Sim for 20 notes a month or a simple Home Broadband for  £15. Might be worth looking into if anyone in the household uses EE, Orange or T Mobile. 

[Taxi_Driver]

Thanks for the input 

One of the reasons for swapping my setup, is so that I can load an app onto the new phone that will enable me to get my jobs sent to my phone, rather than have a radio and data unit in the car.

So I think I will go the 4G route but with a low data allowance to start with and keep the landline to see how the 4G performs  when GG get the phone back in stock.....altho they have reduced it to £100 now