4G plans for Scotland revealed

It has been announced that Scotland could be set to enjoy the benefit of 4G broadband following plans that were unveiled to auction frequencies used for analogue television previously.

It has been reported that there could be increased mobile broadband coverage in Scotland with next generation 4G broadband networks stemming from proposals to auction some of the frequencies that were previously used for analogue television. The auction of the frequencies will be used to support next generation mobile broadband technology, which could spell great news for residents and businesses in Scotland.

The auctioning of spectrum, which has already been discussed, will be the largest of its kind according to reports and could generate a lot of money for the treasury. One of the proposals could result in coverage for ninety five percent of the UK population. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, is to put an obligation on whoever gets the licence to provide coverage to ninety five percent of the UK.

Whilst no specific information has been revealed with regards to the exact level of coverage in the consultation papers from Ofcom it is likely to hugely benefit many areas of Scotland, especially those where traditional broadband services are not readily available, as it means increased Internet access for those that live and work in these hard to reach areas.

Ofcom is currently running a consultation and it is thought that the first 4G services could be rolled out later next year. However, it could be some time before services are extended to ninety five percent of the UK as this is something that will be rolled out gradually.

Source – BBC