BT and Everything Everywhere begin 4G mobile broadband trial in Cornwall

It has been reported again and again in the media that the UK only stands to lose if it continues to lag behind when it comes to 4G broadband. As many people are well aware of, developments in technology move fast and it awaits no one. While it’s not a universal truth, countries that employ the latest technology are often the ones ahead. Some reports have already concluded that Europe has fallen behind the United States when it comes to 4G broadband technology, pointing out that a noticeable shift has occurred since the former had led the way in terms of mobile and broadband technology in the past.

However, that is about to change, as the government is taking an active role in ensuring that most ares in the UK will have access to broadband services in the near future with the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) project. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) BT Broadband and Everything Everywhere are also getting into the effort by beginning a 4G mobile broadband trial in Cornwall this week. The trial will make use of 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology to deliver fast broadband speeds to the residents and establishments based in Cornwall.

The trial was announced on May 25th of this year and is finally underway. BT Broadband and Everything Everywhere plan to continue the trial until early next year. The trial will allow the ISPs to evaluate if 4G broadband would be a feasible technology to run alongside fixed line broadband services in rural areas that currently have poor broadband coverage.

An estimated 200 participants are a part of the trial, half of the group using 4G wireless routers while the other half are using 4G dongles for their laptops. To show their appreciation, BT Broadband and Everything Everywhere will be providing the participants of the trial with access to high speed broadband services, free of charge.

In the press release announcing the 4G trial earlier this year, Everything Everywhere’s CEO Tom Alexander stated: “We strongly believe that, by sharing our network and mobile assets in this way, we can make a valuable contribution to the economics of rural broadband services. Our work with BT is providing a test bed for new technologies such as 4G LTE which, with the correct allocation of sub 1GHz spectrum from the Government, has the potential to make a real impact on the way in which we communicate in the future. The Government has previously stated its desire for the UK to have the best in class superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015, and we hope to help this vision become a reality.”

Sally Davis, who serves as the CEO of BT Broadband, also stated in the same press release: “BT is committed to bringing the highest speed broadband to everyone in the UK, whether that’s over fibre, copper or airwaves. This is a great mixed economy example of innovation and collaboration by two organisations pushing the boundaries of technology for the benefit of customers. The expectation of what we will learn is truly exciting, as much for the customers who are unable to get a broadband service in a number of rural communities across the country.”

Source – Money Highstreet