4G mobile networks to launch in 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012 - 13:54:20
The UK's mobile users can breathe a sigh of relief, as it looks like 4G networks will finally be made available this year, according to a report from the Guardian.
Everything Everywhere, the network which is comprised of both Orange and T-Mobile, has confirmed that 4G speeds should be accessible to its customers before the end of 2012.
It will begin testing its 4G networks in April and will then conduct a nationwide roll-out in the coming months.
This is all reliant on industry regulator Ofcom signing off on the plans, which rely on the network provider converting some of its existing 3G spectrum over to 4G usage.
In the interim, it looks like 3.5G speeds should be widely available in the first half of the year, with Everything Everywhere allowing users to get online at up to 21Mbps, providing that they have a handset which supports this standard.
People in the UK have been looking at other nations with envious eyes, because places like the US have already featured 4G networks for the past couple of years. Lots of network infighting and regulatory roadblocks have slowed the process of 4G roll-out in the UK, but, hopefully, 2012 will be the year in which this is finally amended.
Of course in order for 4G networks to have any relevance, there will need to be 4G smartphones and other compatible devices. It seems likely that the Apple iPhone 5, which rumours suggest will arrive in the autumn, could have 4G compatibility built into it, while other manufacturers, like HTC, have had significant experience crafting 4G handsets for foreign markets already.
For Everything Everywhere customers, the impending launch of 4G will be good news, but anyone on O2 or its rivals could still have a long wait on their hands.
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