Vodafone's Australian 4G network to launch in June

Vodafone announces 4G rollout plans
Can the promise of 4G save Voda?

Following its 4G speed tests back in February, Vodafone Australia has officially lifted the lid on its plans to rollout its LTE network.

Starting in June, Vodafone will begin switching on its new 4G services, starting across five capital cities around the country. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide will be first, with Wollongong, Newcastle and the Gold Coast following over the back end of the year.

The new 4G service will build on the attempts to improve the 3G and HSPA+ network improvements Vodafone has implemented since it admitted to dropping the ball.

No pricing for the new 4G offerings have been announced, but it's unlikely the network would charge a premium over its current offerings given that neither Telstra nor Optus charge extra for 4G.

Improved reception for customer service

In addition to the 4G announcement, Vodafone today placed plenty of emphasis on the company's new customer service strategy.

Vodafone has brought its call centre on shore, as well as introduced new alerts for users to track their spending and help to avoid bill shock.

In a provided statement, Vodafone boss Bill Morrow claimed that the emphasis was in trying to make mobile usage a stressless affair.

"We want to take the worry out of mobile use – be it providing a network when and where you need it most, speaking to someone who can quickly understand and help you with your needs, or removing the surprise when you receive your bill at the end of the month – we've reshaped our business around understanding and anticipating the needs of our 6 million customers," Morrow said.

But whether these developments are enough to fight off that class action lawsuit is another matter altogether.

Having spent the past decade editing some of Australia's leading technology publications, Nick's passion for the latest gadgetry is matched only by his love of watching Australia beat England in the rugby.