Everything Everywhere is the first network to go 4G
UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has decided that Everything Everywhere – the umbrella brand for Orange and T-Mobile – can be the first UK network to offer 4G across the UK.
UK customers could be using 4G as soon as October 2012
The move means it could be offering rapid 20Mbps network access to customers as soon as October 2012. That’s around four times current available speeds and puts many home broadband connections to shame.
Other networks will have to wait longer to offer 4G due to technical reasons that relate to the frequencies available. Everything Everywhere wants to use the 1800MHz band that is already free, while other networks will have to wait until next year to access the 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequencies.
As you can imagine, rival networks are kicking up a stink over Everything Everywhere being given this competitive edge. But it’s not all plain sailing as 1800MHz isn’t a widely supported frequency for 4G mobiles, which could mean incompatibility between networks and some 4G phones may not be supported by the Everything Everywhere 4G network.
Expect to see 4G mobile broadband dongles appearing first for laptops followed by 4G smartphones towards the end of 2012. Look out for deals on the Tesco Phone Shop.
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