European operator Tele2 said Wednesday it hopes to become the world’s first “4G only” carrier and drive a “permanent shift in Dutch mobile data consumption” with the Thursday launch of its new LTE-Advanced network and new high data plan.
Nearly two years after beginning the build of its 4G network, Tele2 said it has reached 92 percent 4G outdoor coverage in the Netherlands with nationwide population coverage expected by the first quarter of next year. Thanks to carrier aggregation, the operator said the network is capable of achieving maximum speeds of up to 225 megabits per second.
To facilitate increased use of this network and allow Dutch users to “drown themselves in data,” Tele2 said it will be introducing a 24 GB plan with unlimited voice and SMS messaging for €35 (about $37) per month. The plan comes in addition to Tele2’s other plan options of 1.5 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB. The company said a minimalistic plan with 1 GB of data, 100 voice minutes and texts will also be offered.
“It’s time for the Dutch consumers to release the handbrake when it comes to mobile data usage,” said Tele2 Netherlands CEO Jeff Dodds. “Over the last three years price levels in the Netherlands have remained amongst the highest in Europe, and we’re here to shake up the market and start a data revolution.”
According to Tele2, high costs and low data allowances previously drove consumers to seek out public Wi-Fi hotspots to use their devices.
With its move to LTE-A and ample data packages, Tele2 said it is hoping to capture 20 percent of the market share revenue in the Netherlands.
