UQ WiMax 5G Mobile Router Plan Change

 Until now, there has been no announcement regarding changing of existing plans, or upgrading from a 4G router to a 5G router.  

> The 5G announcement page only discussed new contracts

> The contract change page only listed other WiMax/4G plans

> The equipment change page only listed a single WiMax/4G router (The WX04)

So, it seems that there was no way to upgrade an existing 4G contract/router online, and this was confirmed by phone, saying that there was a plan to start offering this as an option "Sometime during May".

UQ Communications posted an announcement on the 18th: 

https://www.uqwimax.jp/annai/news_release/202103313.html

The basic Translation is this:

UQ Communication has started rolling out 5G in addition to the existing 4G services.

Although the existing WiMax 2+ contracts have required a paid option to access the 4G LTE network until now, the 5G plans will include access to a portion of the 4G and 5G towers at no additional cost.  

Further, we will be reallocating some of the frequencies we own from WiMax 2+ to 5G services starting in Fall of 2022.

According to this change, the maximum WiMax 2+ speed will drop from 440 Mbps to 220 Mbps on or after Fall of 2022.

Because of this, we will be waiving the contract change fee for existing WiMax 4+ customers to 5G from the month of May 2021 in order to allow the stability afforded by the free usage of some of the 4G and 5G towers.

About the waiving of the contract change fee for changing to WiMax +5G:

1. Summary:

The fee to change to a "WiMax +5G" router will be waived

2. Eligible Customers:

Those who are using a UQ "Wimax 2+" router.

3. Fees Waived:

The $33 contract change fee

4. Effective Date:

2021/05/25

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So, to summarize, we can tell the following:

1. They are planning to re-allocate part of the spectrum used for WiMax to 5G in the future, and because of that, pure WiMax will slow down 

2. Due to #1, they are going to allow free use of some of the 4/G/5G base stations as part of the "WiMax" service to cover the difference in their 5G plans.  

3. In order to enable this, customers will need to change to the 5G plan.  

4. They normally charge $33 to change plans in this kind of case, but this will be made free for existing customers, and this will take effect on 5/25.

This means that we should see an option to change plans starting on the 25th of this month.

We don't know, however, if a new router is required (it will be for the 5G portion), or if the price of purchasing the new router will be reduced.