Ofcom plans to ensure 98% of UK gets 4G

Mobile broadband has become increasingly important and prevalent. Many people now access the world wide web with the use of mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. This technology plays a major role not only to facilitate communication, but also in the world of enterprise.

In line with this, the called on the government to make accessible 3G a priority as both businesses and consumers need access to the fastest available broadband speeds to remain competitive. A portion of the report said: “To remain globally competitive it is first necessary to ensure that our 3G service is robust and accessible, particularly in regions of the UK where a good broadband connection is still patchy at best.”

That was 3G. Now Ofcom is pushing to make the next-generation mobile broadband technology, 4G, more widely available in the country. The regulator is aiming to have 98% of the UK equipped with 4G when the networks are deployed in Britain.

Ofcom made the announcement in new proposals that were released today after a series of consultations were conducted and completed. The 4G network will make use of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz radio spectrums in order to provide mobile broadband services at faster speeds that might reach up to 100Mbps. Moreover, Ofcom also wants one of the mobile networks that will eventually acquire a part of the 800MHz spectrum to use it for 4G coverage. The funds for these projects come from the £150 million government investment that was announced by Chancellor George Osborne in October last year.

Aside from this, Ofcom revealed that it had already drawn up plans to make sure that all of the UK’s mobile networks will be able to have access to the spectrum in order to provide 4G networks. The regulator will also be setting aside some spectrum in the 2.6GHz band for the delivery of new mobile services for users.

Ofcom Chief Executive, Ed Richards, said: “The proposals published today will influence the provision of services to consumers for the next decade and beyond. We are proposing a significant enhancement of mobile broadband, extending 4G coverage beyond levels of existing 2G coverage – helping to serve many areas of the UK that have traditionally been underserved by network coverage.”