HDTV/3D TV News
T-Mobile and Orange, also known as Everything Everywhere, has made a bold announcement on the 4G front.
The firm is claiming it will begin to roll out its 4G LTE service (or 3.9G as some call it) later on this year, ahead of the expected time schedule – providing Ofcom approves the move this spring.
Everything Everywhere has another 4G LTE trial due to start in Bristol in April, this time over the 1800MHz spectrum. The initial 800MHz trial in Cornwall began last year and apparently “has demonstrated that 800 MHz is optimal for the roll out of 4G LTE in rural areas”.
That all paves the way for the introduction of 4G in the late stages of 2012, albeit on a small scale (and Ofcom willing).
Olaf Swantee, CEO at Everything Everywhere, commented: “Everything Everywhere’s vision is to launch 4G for Britain as soon as possible, and the roll out of 3.5G HSPA+ and our 4G trials across Britain are major steps towards delivering on that promise.”
“I am also very proud to announce that, subject to regulatory approval by the spring, Everything Everywhere will be in a position to begin the roll out of 4G before the end of the year.”
The roll out of 3.5G HSPA+ is the other prong in the company’s faster mobile broadband attack.
Everything Everywhere claims its HSPA+ 21 coverage now extends to 60% of its network, and the roll out with be fully complete by the third quarter of this year.
HSPA+ 42, an even faster 3.5G service, is due to be trialled in the next quarter, and should begin rolling out at the end of the year.
Combine that with the completion of “smart signal share” – switching between the Orange and T-Mobile networks to get the best mobile broadband signal – which is due to be finished in May, and Everything Everywhere makes a compelling mobile data case.
O2, for example, isn’t planning on launching its 4G LTE service until next year.
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