Apple’s new LTE-enabled iPad appears unlikely to work on 4G services outside the US and Canada while the device could also require a rethink from operators about data plans.

Just US and Canadian operators have said they will support the new iPad at launch and it’s doubtful the device will be compatible with radio frequencies used for LTE in other countries, reports Apple Insider.

Apple’s UK website says the new device will support 700MHz and 2,100MHz LTE bands found in the US but not the 800MHz, 1,800MHz and 2,600MHz bands being used in Europe. In Japan, the new model doesn’t have LTE support, only being capable of using DC-HSDPA technology.

Meanwhile the addition of LTE to the new iPad combined with HD video support could mean that US users quickly exceed their data allowances, reports Computerworld, as they are encouraged to download more content due to the faster speeds offered by LTE. Some HD movies can be up to 4GB in size, which in some cases represents an entire month’s data allowance.

Analyst Jack Gold said companies paying for monthly 3G and LTE services from Verizon Wireless or AT&T should set policies that restrict the downloading of high-data files.

This situation highlights the need for operators to offer more flexible data plans, according to analysts, reports Reuters. Guggenheim Partners analyst Sing Yin said in a research note that the current tablet data plans are “ill matched” for the new LTE iPad, adding that a multi-device data plan could make LTE more attractive.

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reports that the new iPad could cost Apple more money to make due to the complex display technology and other features on the device. Research firm UBM TechInsights estimates that the component cost of each 16GB LTE-enabled iPad to Apple is US$310. With that version of the device due to be sold for US$629, Apple would achieve a 51 percent profit margin per deviced compared to 56 percent for the iPad 2 when it was first released.