Broadband News

Plans to fatten up 4G coverage put forward

Thursday 12 January, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

Next-generation mobile network expected to reach 98% of the population under Ofcom’s proposals.

Coverage of 4G mobile will be extended to reach at least 98% of the population, according to new plans from Ofcom.

The communications regulator has made several new proposals for making 4G mobile spectrum available in the UK and promoting competition among the providers it will be auctioned off to.

4G mobile spectrum is the range of frequencies that will be used to transmit the next-generation mobile signal, which will improve the speed and reliability of mobile broadband.

In order to improve coverage, Ofcom has proposed two options. The first one is that a condition is attached to one of the spectrum licences up for grabs that the provider that wins it must deliver 4G to 98% of the population.

The second option, which Ofcom believes to be “potentially more effective,” is that a condition is attached to one of the licences that the provider that wins it must deliver 4G coverage that matches existing 2G coverage and also extend it to mobile “notspots”.

In October, the government announced that it plans to plough £150million into improving mobile coverage, and this will provide the infrastructure that can support 4G coverage in notspots.

The idea behind the second proposal is that mobile broadband would be provided in locations where it is not currently available, rather than where it is easiest for the licence holder to meet their obligations, potentially meaning more than 98% of the population would have access to 4G.

Ofcom said it has also come up with several ideas for measures to take when auctioning off 4G mobile spectrum in order to promote competition among providers, meaning their customers are more likely to receive “better services at lower prices in the future”.

The regulator also plans to reserve some 4G spectrum in order to allow newcomers to the mobile game to innovate and deliver new services, like local mobile networks that serve a small area, such as a hospital or business premises.

Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: “This is a crucial step in preparing for the most significant spectrum release in the UK for many years. The proposals published today will influence the provision of services to consumers for the next decade and beyond.”