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British regulator Ofcom gave EE special license to reuse 1,800MHz spectrum for its fledgling LTE network; to put it mildly, that rubbed other carriers the wrong way. The agency may be more open to a level playing field, as it’s proposing letting everyone follow a similar route, and then some. Following calls from H3G (Three), Telefonica (O2) and Vodafone, Ofcom has offered to let all UK providers repurpose both their 1,800MHz airwaves as well as the 900MHz and 2,100MHz bands. We won’t have too long to wait before a decision: Ofcom will decide on the proposal in the second quarter, which might come just in time for carriers to supplement whatever bandwidth they get from 4G auctions. Especially when hardware already exists that could use the frequencies for faster speeds, success could see the trickle of UK LTE become more of a torrent.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Ofcom (PDF)

Google is bringing the Nexus 4 to another carrier in the UK, expanding availability to Three after debuting the device with O2 as its initial partner in that country. The Android 4.2-powered smartphone will be available starting December 13 on Three, either on a £35 per month contract with an upfront cost of just £29 on the One Plan (unlimited data and high on-network text and talk limits, but with a two-year contract), or pre-paid for £399.99.

The added carrier partner comes just one month after the Nexus 4′s official launch, which saw quick sell-outs in the UK and the rest of the world. Google’s latest smartphone seems to be experiencing either very high demand, very short supply, or a combination of both (although new reports claim shipping times have improved), so it’s interesting to see Google expand availability so quickly.

The Nexus 4 should offer fairly good speeds on Three’s DS-HSDPA network, but the hack revealed this morning that allows users to manually enable LTE on the device will do Three customers no good. Even when Three’s planned 1800MHz LTE network begins to roll out, it won’t be compatible with the Nexus 4′s AWS LTE band support. Of course, that feature’s still not technically even official, and the phone is still among the best options for Android devices out there. The interesting thing will be to see how many people opt to buy through carriers, versus getting cheaper outright prices direct through Google and bringing it to the network of their choice.

Three customers in the UK have three new options when deciding how to spend their smartphone dollar (or pound, as it were). Starting today the carrier will now be be home to HTC’s Windows Phone 8X, the Galaxy S III Mini and the Xperia J. Prices for the devices are all over the map, with the 8X starting at £350 with a pay-as-you-go plan, while the GS III and Xperia J are £270 and £150 respectively with the same deal. If you’re looking to save a bit up front, the 8X can be had for just £29, so long as you’re willing to commit to a £30 a month plan. The Sony and Samsung handsets are both available without any upfront costs, with the Xperia starting at as little as £13 a month and the four-inch Galaxy offshoot weighing in at £28 per month. For more details, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone 8X, Galaxy S III Mini and Xperia J available on Three UK today

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Windows Phone 8X, Galaxy S III Mini and Xperia J available on Three UK today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isn’t it better when we work together? British carriers think so. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have officially created a non-exclusive joint venture, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, that should speed up the deployment of 800MHz LTE by keeping Freeview over-the-air TV signals clear of interference while the partners bring their low-frequency 4G online. Previously, the networks were bound to form an equivalent company called MitCo that wouldn’t have been active until after the 800MHz auction, preventing companies from getting their wireless houses in order until they’d already made a commitment. There’s also a competitive angle involved to go with the cooperative work, as you might imagine: with EE’s 1,800MHz LTE poised to go live on October 30th, choosing infighting over assistance would only help widen the frontrunner’s lead. Whether DMSL represents altruism or pragmatism, we’ll appreciate knowing that the hurdles to a catch-up in UK 4G will be more those of the technical reality than the usual political maneuvering.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

UK carriers form alliance to speed up 800MHz LTE rollout, let us enjoy our Freeview TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not a month after Mach’s last carrier billing deal, UK network providers Vodafone, Three, O2 and Everything Everywhere are getting in on the action. The company’s direct billing solutions will initially allow the networks to charge app and online purchases straight to your bill, with in-app sales joining them at a later date. Don’t expect this to be implemented immediately, however, as the agreement covers the back-end processing — the individual carriers will be responsible for turning it on customer-side. They’ll likely inform you when they hit the switch and your phone bill becomes a monthly surprise.

Continue reading Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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