Vodafone has delayed the launch of its 4G service in the UK until about September 2013 until a compatible version of iPhone is available.
The company is planning to launch its superfast mobile Internet 10 months after launch of EE‘s first version of superfast mobile internet technology in the country.
After investing £790m for purchase of airwaves to broadcast its 4G signals, Vodafone was expected to launch its service in June, but the delay is aimed at ensuring its network was ready and to give the launch the best promising marketing window.
Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao said that the company was convinced its own 4G will be better performing.
"We want to be able to launch it when it’s really ready. End of the summer means when there is going to be a good commercial window for launching it," Colao said.
Vodafone’s revenue for the year ending March dropped 4.2% to £44.4bn, with profits reaching to £673m, while the company is anticipating an operating profit in the range of £12bn to £12.8bn for 2014 financial year.
Additionally, the firm is aiming to build high-speed 4G networks that can broadcast data-hungry videos to about 40% of its network in its five major European markets, including the UK, by March 2014.
By summer 2013, EE is planning to double its 4G speed in 10 UK cities, with an achievable top speed of 80Mbps, while the average speeds will be raised to over 20Mbps.
EE is also anticipating its mobile data traffic to boost by about 750% in the following three years alone.
