Phones4U announces LIFE Mobile network with 4G on the way

Phones4U has announced it will launch its own mobile network from March which will start with 3G and bump up to include 4G later in the year.

The network is called LIFE Mobile and will run on EE's existing 3G infrastructure, but Phones4U's apparent deal with the Orange/T-Mobile giant also extends to 4G plans as an upgrade is set to happen at some unspecified point after launch.

As you might expect, Phones4U is planning to offer a range of data packages which will also include voice calls and texts to varying degrees, but at time of writing the company is remaining tight-lipped about the details. We're expecting a follow-up announcement fairly soon.

Tim Whiting, chief executive of Phones4U, said:'The launch of LIFE Mobile is a very significant step for the Phones 4u business. We are delighted to be extending our longstanding partnership with EE in order to add LIFE Mobile to the extensive range of products and services available at Phones 4u.'

'We will sell both 3G, and later in 2013, 4G LIFE Mobile tariffs alongside our existing network propositions and are confident the new network will play a key role in driving further growth for our business,' he added.

Other mobile networks are expected to offer 4G services this year with the 4G spectrum auction set to take place in January. BT, Vodafone, O2 and Three are known to be bidding with licenses set to be granted in March and new services expected to rollout in May/June.

At present EE is the only UK network with 4G data tariffs.