UK 4G allowed from 11th September... (obviously not available then)

[I am Sampson]

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has allowed Everything Everywhere, the owner of the Orange and T-Mobile networks, to use its existing bandwidth to launch fourth-generation (4G) mobile services....
... Everything Everywhere will be allowed to offer 4G services from 11 September.

Anyone else seen that?


Date of 11th September is very interesting... just in time for Orange/T-mobile to advertise along the lines of "The only UK network to offer iPhone 5 4G".

I find it very odd Ofcom have allowed this.

Realistically I can't see most places getting it anytime soon (not that I personally have the remotest issue with the speed of 3G).

 

[bollyboy]

Anyone else seen that?


Date of 11th September is very interesting... just in time for Orange/T-mobile to advertise along the lines of "The only UK network to offer iPhone 5 4G".

I find it very odd Ofcom have allowed this.

Realistically I can't see most places getting it anytime soon (not that I personally have the remotest issue with the speed of 3G).

To be honest i'm with Orange and find them terrible, rather than switching to T-Mobile when coverage is poor it often just drops the signal.

I would hope they improve there current service before touting a sales pitch to new/old punters for 4G

As you say i think it's a long time off in the UK.

Also how's about visual voicemail from Orange ! Hullomail does the job yes but it a nice iPhone feature..

 

[stridemat]

I thought exactly the same thing. I'm with Everything Everywere and fingers cross the EE version of 4G is compatiable with a new iPhone.

 

[Nathan20]

But will the next iPhone support the 4G frequency in the UK?

 

[tann]

But will the next iPhone support the 4G frequency in the UK?

Probably not, lol.

 

[Reason077]

To be honest i'm with Orange and find them terrible, rather than switching to T-Mobile when coverage is poor it often just drops the signal.

The switching/roaming between the two networks was a stop-gap when they first started merging, wasn't it?

These days the two networks are mostly merged. The network ID shown on my phone is usually "Orange T-Mobile" now days.

 

[peskaa]

We won't see it for the next iPhone - EE won't have had time to put up 4G masts! I think this will be a 2013 rollout, so possibly the next iPhone...

 

[VulchR]

I though there was going to be some sort of auction for the 4G frequencies - has this happened already?

 

[peskaa]

I though there was going to be some sort of auction for the 4G frequencies - has this happened already?

There's going to be an auction for the other frequencies in 2013.

 

[VulchR]

OK - thanks. Just curious, what will these new frequencies be for – the protocol after 4G?

 

[boy-better-know]

I would be surprised if anyone could offer it for the new iPhone. But safe to say I would get my iPhone with whoever can do it.

 

[peskaa]

OK - thanks. Just curious, what will these new frequencies be for – the protocol after 4G?

Err, no. 4G operates on multiple frequencies, depending where in the world you live. Such as:

USA - 700Mhz, 2100Mhz
UK - 800Mhz, 1800Mhz, 2600Mhz

800Mhz in the UK was liberated from TV with the digital switchover. It'll be 800 and 2600Mhz that go up to auction in 2013 to Vodafone, o2 and Three.

Everything Everywhere have had the go-ahead to use 1800Mhz (and will apparently be leasing to Three as well). The reason this can happen is because EE already have a huge chunk of the 1800Mhz spectrum for voice/data, whereas other networks have very little. This means the other networks have to continue using their tiny bit of 1800Mhz for voice/data, whereas EE can divvy it up to allow for 4G.

Interestingly, Korean networks have been asking for an iPhone that works on 1800Mhz. We might get lucky.

 

[Centralman]

Here is the article from Ofcom who gives the license out in the UK!

http://m.ofcom.org.uk/media/news-releases/everything-4g/

 

[Azzin]

Everything Everywhere have had the go-ahead to use 1800Mhz (and will apparently be leasing to Three as well).

That's interesting.

I'm with 3, so would 3 customers potentially be able to use the same 4G frequency that EE will offer?

Thinking about it, are EE and 3 in some kind of company together?

I'll have to find the link/info.

 

[freep]

We won't see it for the next iPhone - EE won't have had time to put up 4G masts! I think this will be a 2013 rollout, so possibly the next iPhone...

EE have apparently been installing 4g equipment since the beginning of the year and it will simply be "flicking a switch" on 11th Sept. of course there aren't any phones that support 1800mhz LTE in the UK...yet!

 

[Azzin]

What frequency does the new iPad use for 4G?

 

[peskaa]

EE have apparently been installing 4g equipment since the beginning of the year and it will simply be "flicking a switch" on 11th Sept. of course there aren't any phones that support 1800mhz LTE in the UK...yet!

Really? To my knowledge all they've done is a localised trial, not roll out of hardware nationally. Why would they have spent the billions it will cost to deploy a new network for 8 months before being told they can actually use the frequency? Sorry, doesn't add up.

EDIT: It looks like O2 and EE have been investing in their backhaul infrastructure to prepare for 4G, but nobody has put up masts yet. It won't be a case of flipping a switch on the 11th September, but it does make the process a bit quicker. Turn on is pegged for October, and I imagine that will be in very limited locations (read as London, Birmingham, Manchester and other big cities).

That's interesting.

I'm with 3, so would 3 customers potentially be able to use the same 4G frequency that EE will offer?

Thinking about it, are EE and 3 in some kind of company together?

EE and Three have nothing to do with each other, but I understand that the European Competition Commission have forced EE to offer up some spectrum to another operator to prevent a monopoly on the only 4G the UK will have for at least a year -and that operator appears to be Three.

So in answer to your question, yes, Three will most likely roll out a 4G network using some part of the 1800Mhz spectrum.

What frequency does the new iPad use for 4G?

Off the top of my head, 700Mhz & 2100Mhz.

 

[freep]

Really? To my knowledge all they've done is a localised trial, not roll out of hardware nationally. Why would they have spent the billions it will cost to deploy a new network for 8 months before being told they can actually use the frequency? Sorry, doesn't add up.

EDIT: It looks like O2 and EE have been investing in their backhaul infrastructure to prepare for 4G, but nobody has put up masts yet. It won't be a case of flipping a switch on the 11th September, but it does make the process a bit quicker. Turn on is pegged for October, and I imagine that will be in very limited locations (read as London, Birmingham, Manchester and other big cities).

According to The Guardian they have already put equipment on masts to cover major cities, although it doesnt say where it has got this info from.

The Telegraph stated that it was a matter of flipping a switch also suggesting that equipment has been installed. Although it sounds like EE are going to launch this service under a new brand so who knows when they will actually offer it.

EE and Three have nothing to do with each other, but I understand that the European Competition Commission have forced EE to offer up some spectrum to another operator to prevent a monopoly on the only 4G the UK will have for at least a year -and that operator appears to be Three.

So in answer to your question, yes, Three will most likely roll out a 4G network using some part of the 1800Mhz spectrum.

Three have bought the 1800Mhz spectrum from EE although I dont think they will be able to launch 4G on it. The only reason EE can is that they have so much spare capacity after merging they can run both 2G and 4G over the 1800Mhz band.

Ofcom's decision also only covered varying EEs license.

 

[peskaa]

According to The Guardian they have already put equipment on masts to cover major cities, although it doesnt say where it has got this info from.

The Telegraph stated that it was a matter of flipping a switch also suggesting that equipment has been installed. Although it sounds like EE are going to launch this service under a new brand so who knows when they will actually offer it.

Hmm, nowhere else has mentioned this at all, including more industry-orientated sites. I'm still expecting to see this beginning to trickle out in October at the earliest, available on mobile broadband USB dongles only until the phones land. I don't doubt there is *some* 4G kit kicking around, after all, they had to have it for the trials, but the cost of sticking it up a mast and leaving it there for months whilst waiting for Ofcom doesn't make any sense.

Three have bought the 1800Mhz spectrum from EE although I dont think they will be able to launch 4G on it. The only reason EE can is that they have so much spare capacity after merging they can run both 2G and 4G over the 1800Mhz band.

Ofcom's decision also only covered varying EEs license.

Yes, it appears that Three are licensing some of the 1800 spectrum. However, it's theoretically possible they could run 4G if they get enough of it, as they'll use their existing spectrum to handle 2G/3G. If they're only interested in doing mobile broadband for the time being, then it becomes even more feasible.

It was a license variation due to the fact that EE have so much in 1800 already!

 

[Azzin]

EE and Three have nothing to do with each other, but I understand that the European Competition Commission have forced EE to offer up some spectrum to another operator to prevent a monopoly on the only 4G the UK will have for at least a year -and that operator appears to be Three.

So in answer to your question, yes, Three will most likely roll out a 4G network using some part of the 1800Mhz spectrum.

Fingers crossed then!

Off the top of my head, 700Mhz & 2100Mhz.

Ah, so even a current gen iPad couldn't use this EE 4G then?

My head hurts!

 

[peskaa]

Ah, so even a current gen iPad couldn't use this EE 4G then?

My head hurts!

Correct. This is why a lot of people were annoyed with Apple, as they only supported the US 4G networks, nothing overseas.

There's hope that the 1800 band will be supported in the new iPhone as it is the band used in Korea and Germany, amongst others. If that's the case, EE will basically be getting an exclusive on the 4G iPhone in the UK for about a year, as that's how long it will take for the auction and roll out to happen for O2/Vodafone in the 800/2600 bands - and then of course we'd need an iPhone that worked on those bands as well.

 

[stridemat]

Correct. This is why a lot of people were annoyed with Apple, as they only supported the US 4G networks, nothing overseas.

There's hope that the 1800 band will be supported in the new iPhone as it is the band used in Korea and Germany, amongst others. If that's the case, EE will basically be getting an exclusive on the 4G iPhone in the UK for about a year, as that's how long it will take for the auction and roll out to happen for O2/Vodafone in the 800/2600 bands - and then of course we'd need an iPhone that worked on those bands as well.

We also need EE to upgrade their mobile masts