Today is the day that 4G mobile is rolled out [3] in 11 British cities, including the capital. The service is being provided by new provider EE [4], aka Everything Everywhere, but the scheme, which has it trailing behind other nations, is not without its critics.

For users, the main issue is the lack of an all-you-can-eat download tariff [5]--although this is music to the network providers' ears. Go over your limit (the packages on offer range from 500MB a month to 8GB) and you can be charged as much as £180 per year. EE's rivals--O2, Vodafone, and Three, who all launch their 4G services in 2013, will be watching keenly.