Hasta La Gadget!

With the formal creation of Orange and T-Mobile’s LTE network lovechild, Everything Everywhere, the UK finally joined the horserace for 4G. Now, it looks like rival domestic operators could get a chance to play catch-up sooner than expected, according to a report from The Telegraph. It appears the mobile companies, having recently put to rest concerns over any potential “first mover advantage” that would see each party entering into litigation, have been freed up to bid in a spectrum auction set to take place in early January. And further speeding this next-gen rollout along, is Ofcom’s admission that those precious frequencies could be ready for use as soon as this coming May, allowing carriers to prep service for public consumption by mid-summer 2013 at the latest. All told, it’s good news for denizens of the British isles hankering for blazing wireless speeds and the LTE devices that love them. But as with all things commercial, we’d caution you to expect some regulatory bumps in the road to this rollout.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

UK carrier cooperation could see 4G LTE rollout ramp up by summer 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Brits still languish at the back of the queue for LTE, there is at least a sliver of hope that regulator Ofcom is moving forward with plans for 4G provision. It’s announced today that carrier Everything Everywhere (the combined network of Orange and T-Mobile) will be allowed to use its 1800 MHz spectrum to push out next-generation phone services. Ofcom decided that the change to the UK network’s license would deliver “significant benefits to consumers, and that there is no material risk that those benefits will be outweighed by a distortion of competition.” Auctions for additional 800 and 2.6 GHz bands are still on track to happen later this year, aiming for a roll-out through 2013. Everything Everywhere will be allowed to use LTE and (bizarrely) WiMAX starting 11 September 2012, although this may not be the launch date for any commercial service — which could be unfortunate. The UK’s comms regulator goes into the specifics after the break.

Update: Vodafone UK has issued a statement regarding the decision (hint: it’s not happy), which can be read in full after the break.

Continue reading Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere’s early 4G plans, starting next month (update)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet

Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere’s early 4G plans, starting next month (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LTE continues to expand throughout the United States and in many countries around the world, but the UK is still waiting on Ofcom to give the go-ahead on the necessary spectrum auction to support the technology. The communications watchdog has this morning announced that the spectrum bidding will be pushed back slightly, from the end of this year to “early 2013.” The delay in the spectrum auction ultimately means consumers will be waiting even longer for LTE to hit the UK.

Ofcom says that carriers can begin submitting their applications, but the actual spectrum auction won’t take place until early next year. UK carriers will be bidding on two bands, 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz, although Everything Everywhere is hoping to leverage its existing 1800Mhz spectrum and push out a limited LTE service before the end of the year. Still, spectrum is a limited resource, and Everything Everywhere’s 1800Mhz band isn’t the most desirable for a wide spread and speedy service.

In addition, Ofcom says that a set of spectrum will be set aside for a fourth wholesaler or carrier to prevent the big three in the UK from dominating the market. The organization briefly mentions Hutchinson 3G, who have been vocal in the past regarding Ofcom’s plans. Once everything is auctioned off, carriers will be held to an obligation that means any mobile broadband offered on the 800Mhz band should be available to 98% of the UK by 2017, with the crucial point being that reception is available indoors. The 800Mhz band is best suited for that purpose, while the 2.6Ghz band will open up faster speeds.

[via The Next Web]

Ofcom delays UK LTE spectrum auction to “early 2013″ is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Ofcom’s annual report into the communications habits of Britons has revealed that it’s not just geeks who stare in annoyance when the phone rings. The general consumer is now abandoning voice calls is favor of texting in a big way, making five percent fewer calls than they did the previous year. The numbers also showed that on average, people send 50 texts a week, smartphone ownership was up 12 percent and tablet purchasing shot from 2 to 11 percent in a single year. The trend isn’t slowing, either, given that a whopping 96 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds prefer SMS and Facebook to talking — giving us hope that we’ll soon be spared having to listen to that guy’s conversation during our morning commute.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Wireless

Ofcom: Texting is more popular than talking originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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