Everything Everywhere Authorized to Offer UK's First LTE Service Ahead of Next iPhone

[wrkactjob]

it has awarded permission to carrier Everything Everywhere to begin using its existing 1800 MHz spectrum to offer LTE and WiMAX services beginning on September 11.

Apple products are not affected then??..god some parts of London I struggle to get a 3G signal, in fact huge swathes of the country have none or little connectivity at all.

The phone companies claim 98% coverage, funny how I end up being in the 2% zone so much.

 

[coziosco]

Trial

Hi all,

Thought it would be worth mentioning I've been on the 4G trial up in the hills of Threlkeld in the Lake District for 6 or so weeks now and can only report good things.

I'm getting consistent 20-30Mbps download and usually above 10-15Mbps upload speeds with around a 50ms ping. This is using a simcard wifi router in the living room not quite in line of sight of the mast.

I've also been playing with a 4G mifi type device while wandering about town and have never dropped below 7Mbps download speed anywhere within range of the mast, usually getting consistent 10-15Mbps upload everywhere. Other triallists in the area all appear to be getting the same kind of speed.

Connection quality throughout the trial has been excellent, I'm very happy with it!

 

[Kelmon]

I've been with Orange on-and-off over the past few years (on again at the moment with my 4S) and I've never heard of Everything, Everywhere. Nice to hear that better things may be coming but I'll be with my 4S for another year at least.

 

[tann]

i keep reading how the europeans are so far ahead of us americans in wireless tech

Maybe other European countries, but the UK is miles behind in what feels like everything.

I also know what some of you mean when you talk about feeling like you're always in the 3% of the country that isn't covered by 3G, it's a bit ridiculous they can claim such stuff.

Hopefully they'll try harder with LTE and cover 100% of the country. Even fields and especially motorways, because without data those new Apple maps won't work!.

 

[Reason077]

Maybe other European countries, but the UK is miles behind in what feels like everything.

Maybe they have better coverage in the USA. But you won't be so down on the UK when you see how much they have to pay for it!

 

[Jimrod]

Maybe other European countries, but the UK is miles behind in what feels like everything.

I also know what some of you mean when you talk about feeling like you're always in the 3% of the country that isn't covered by 3G, it's a bit ridiculous they can claim such stuff.

Hopefully they'll try harder with LTE and cover 100% of the country. Even fields and especially motorways, because without data those new Apple maps won't work!.

It's because we have Ofcom, yet another useless body made up of tired old businessmen and bureaucrats who know nothing about technology so must spend years investigating anything new before they allow it through to the public, by which time it's already been surpassed usually.

A company that spends most of its time deciding things can't happen due to monopolising has decided to give the fastest tech to one company? Genius. (Yes, I'm on O2 because I've only ever had crap experience with Orange - even now trying to check tariffs for Orange on my iPhone 4 results in constant page errors so I can't find out. The Orange shop in Cirencester where I work has no Orange signal, says it all...)

 

[Furifo]

Excellent news! I really hope the UK iPhone has 4G capabilities.

On a related note, I read some time ago (source below) that if EE managed to roll out a 4G network then Three may consider leasing it from them should the opportunity present itself. I'm hoping this is true because I'm on Three and I have no problems with the coverage, especially at the price that I'm paying.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Source: http://www.rethink-wireless.com/2012/05/11/3uk-share-uks-lte-network.htm

 

[biohead]

Am I right in thinking that the only way EE are allowed to use 4G before the auctions of the spectrum, is because they already have the 1800MHz part of the spectrum? And as the own it Ofcom have just given them the nod to offer 4G over it?

Does seem a bit unfair that the other telco's have to go to auction for the rest of the spectrum - but they weren't complaining when Ofcom gave them permission to offer 3G over existing 900MHz were they (O2, Vodafone)?

 

[ipoppy]

Surely I can believe in "Everything, Everywhere" thing...

 

[RichTF]

It's because we have Ofcom, yet another useless body made up of tired old businessmen and bureaucrats who know nothing about technology so must spend years investigating anything new before they allow it through to the public, by which time it's already been surpassed usually.

A company that spends most of its time deciding things can't happen due to monopolising has decided to give the fastest tech to one company? Genius. (Yes, I'm on O2 because I've only ever had crap experience with Orange - even now trying to check tariffs for Orange on my iPhone 4 results in constant page errors so I can't find out. The Orange shop in Cirencester where I work has no Orange signal, says it all...)

Don't be so quick to blame Ofcom -- sounds like the delay has been entirely due to the mobile companies fighting amongst themselves and threatening Ofcom with legal action if they went ahead 'too soon' with the auction.
(Source: BBC article)

And don't forget we pay a lot less than our cousins across the pond. I'm pretty sure Ofcom have had a role in preventing an anti-competitve monopoly/duopoly from forming here in the UK.

 

[bartelby]

Meanwhile in Ireland 4G seems many many moons away....

and we don't have T-mobile or Orange


Vodafone can barely deliver a 3G service here let alone 4.

It's ok, Orange and T-Mobile can barely deliver 3G over here.

I have very little hope for their 4G coverage.

 

[domness]

Finally some LTE news! Unfortunately it's with EE... But at least we're finally getting it.

Also Orange and TMobile allow tethering as at the moment you have to pay extra on O2 for this service.

I've never had to pay when on O2? Neither has my housemate... I thought it came with the normal package?

 

[Taylor-C]

I'm on O2... :frown: :sadface:

----------

This can only be great news for people in the UK. Also Orange and TMobile allow tethering as at the moment you have to pay extra on O2 for this service. Now if only they can get on board with the visual voicemail they will have the complete package.

No you don't! I get free tethering as part of my contract - all contracts after sometime in 2011 get free tethering...

 

[Fatboy71]

This can only be great news for people in the UK. Also Orange and TMobile allow tethering as at the moment you have to pay extra on O2 for this service. Now if only they can get on board with the visual voicemail they will have the complete package.

O2 do not charge for tethering now. The new packages they introduced in March/April 2011 include tethering at no extra cost. Basically your data allowance is yours to use either on the device or personal hotspotting/tethering another device.

 

[brucie808]

I think it's good that the UK will be getting a 4G service soon. I just hope that it doesn't take too long for the devices to become available to use it. I'm just hoping that the new iphone will be set up to use the right bandwidth from the off.

I do worry, though, what it will mean in terms of pricing if one operator has a monopoly on 4G for a good 6-12 months. Without competition from the other networks Everything Everywhere will basically be able to charge a huge premium for 4G.

 

[Mike Oxard]

We have really crappy broadband, usually less than 2 meg, and they're never going to upgrade us. Last night I rented an SD movie on my AppleTV and it was going to take over an hour to start playing. I set up a wireless hotspot from my iPad which is on Three's 3G network and it stated playing immediately!

As we are so unlikely to get Infinity or Virgin Cable out here, I 'd really like an LTE modem that I could connect into my AirPort Extreme and ditch the telephone line altogether.

 

[rossmadden]

A couple of people have mentioned the lack of 3G coverage by Orange, isn't it usually indoors where the signal weakens? The 3G waves aren't very good for indoors, but outside it usually works a lot better.

From what I read a few months ago Ofcom is auctioning off the old analogue tv spectrum which will work better indoors and out.

Personally I'm excited. I'm able to upgrade around the date of the new iPhone arriving and as long as Orange give me what I want from the contract, I'll be sticking around.

 

[acearchie]

Connection quality throughout the trial has been excellent, I'm very happy with it!

Key word here being trial. When 4G becomes available to the masses that's when we will start to see the networks struggle as the load will increase dramatically.

It will be good but 30meg seems amazing!

 

[rossmadden]

Another thought, if EE have 4G before the other networks, will they charge more for it?

 

[MRU]

It's ok, Orange and T-Mobile can barely deliver 3G over here.

I have very little hope for their 4G coverage.

And equilibrium is restored to the world once more

 

[macnerd93]

O2 really need to sort their 3G service out first I was with them on an 18-month contract when I had my iPhone 3G and it was diabolical. 90% of the time I had no 3G coverage and was paying £42.50 a month for the privilege. So I can understand ofcoms ruling in that department.

I upgraded to the 4S on launch day and went with 3-UK & i've had so little issues and the signal is top notch.

In all seriousness though and every UK carrier is the same, I think it would be far more crucial to try and improve the current 3G network as its still lacking greatly overall, as opposed to worrying about a technology that hasn't even reached the majority of hand sets yet.

Improve the current 3G network to the best it possibly can be and then worry about 4G as more people begin using it.

 

[garybUK]

Let's hope the `New New` iPad will have universal 4G and not the crippled US/Canadian 4G it currently has, surely this must mean people are going to stop buying the Cellular New iPad seeing as investing in one isn't a good option at this moment?

 

[Fatboy71]

This is good news for the UK, but I just hope the pricing for the 4G service will not be extortionate.

 

[rmwebs]

Pretty funny that it took this long. After the British dust-up over the 3rd Gen iPad and 4G/LTE support, they are actually getting an actual 4G/LTE provider?

How will the Brits ever figure out the choices for themselves? /sarcasm



Ain't sovereignty a beyatch?

I'd take the UK mobile system over the crappy US one any day We've got a set of standards in place meaning you dont need a new phone every time you switch carriers. All our networks operate on the same band for 2G and 3G, you'll probably find that once the EE 1800mhz LTE band goes live we'll see it being licensed out to other networks (most likely Three). I highly doubt we'll ever have the situation the poor US consumers have to deal with though!

----
T-Mobile is also the only UK provider that STILL offers unlimited data (AFAIK). O2 and Vodaphone stopped it long ago.

 

[JohnPhamlore]

Why do people keep ignoring Qualcomm's influence?

its the radio chip. Qualcomm didn't have a single LTE/CDMA/HSPA+ radio chip and apple does not play the game of different specs for different carriers.

this year qualcomm should have a new radio chip that will work on every tech around the world

Thank you for bringing up this point. It's astonishing to me how people keep on ignoring Qualcomm's influence on current events.

The Apple vs Samsung lawsuit is nothing compared to Qualcomm vs Nokia which was settled in 2008. That was the real day that Nokia died, because Qualcomm netted cash payments and patent transfers in addition to cross-licensing while Nokia apparently netted only not being sued anymore. Qualcomm has the IP to produce a complete radio chip solution including possibly worldwide LTE compatibility. What does Nokia have? I see no evidence Nokia has the IP to implement its own LTE solution which is in my opinion the real reason Nokia's smartphone business was declared dead by its Board of Directors, Nokia having to turn to its old enemy Qualcomm for SoCs for the Lumia.

As far as Apple goes, shouldn't it be obvious by now that the real determiner of when new iPhones are released is when Qualcomm is able to supply newer radio chips?