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What is 4G mobile broadband?

Our Broadband Expert says...

Mobile broadband has received some stick since its boom in popularity began in 2008.

Mobile broadband speeds vary massively depending on where you live in the UK, so it’s essential that you carry out a postcode search with each provider before signing up.

Average download speeds currently stand at 1.5Mb, revealed telecoms regulator Ofcom in May, following over 4.2 million speed tests carried out between September and December 2010.

Hold on to your landline

According to Ofcom’s research, 17% of Brits now use mobile broadband. And although only 7% use a dongle as their sole internet connection, this is a sharp increase since 2009, when only 3% of households were mobile broadband only.

But there are two reasons why many people cannot simply ditch their landline and go mobile; speed and download allowance.

In contrast, fixed line broadband averaged 6.2Mb when tested by Ofcom in November and December last year - with some fibre optic connections, such as those offered by BT (www.BT.com) and Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com), delivering actual speeds of over 30Mb or 40Mb.

Home broadband also offers far higher download allowances, with common limits of 40GB a month or even “unlimited” data. This compares to a current top mobile broadband download allowance of 15GB from Three (www.Three.co.uk) - though most packages offer 3GB or 5GB a month.

Ofcom says: “slower download speeds and data limits may make [mobile broadband] unsuitable for heavy users and some broadband services may not be suitable for applications which require a high level of responsiveness, such as some online gaming.”

Try a flexible contract

Mobile broadband coverage can be patchy, and even in cities - which tend to have much more reliable 3G networks - there was “no guarantee of good performance”.

So as well as checking your coverage before you buy, Ofcom recommends that consumers try pay-as-you-go or a rolling one month contract - allowing you to try out the service in your area before you commit.

Traditionally, deals with less commitment offered less value for money, but this is rarely still the case, especially if you take the time to shop around.

“As well as being able to use it in different locations, mobile broadband may also be less expensive for some consumers as it does not require a landline, and pay-as-you-go tariffs are available,” says the regulator.

4G mobile broadband

Although speeds have improved massively since mobile broadband became popular with consumers, many people still feel disappointed in the service they get. Ofcom’s research revealed that more than 50% of rural connections get an average speed of 0.5Mb or less from their dongle.

But all this is set to change as mobile operators begin using the 4G spectrum, due to be auctioned off by Ofcom early next year.

“The new spectrum will provide much needed capacity for the fourth generation (4G) of mobile technology, set to deliver significantly faster mobile broadband services - approaching today’s ADSL home broadband speeds,” explains Ofcom.

Next generation mobile broadband will use two new frequencies - 800MHz and 2.6GHz. The 800MHz spectrum, which is being freed up as the UK switches from analogue to digital TV, is “ideal for widespread mobile coverage”, while the 2.6GHz signal is “ideal for delivering the capacity needed to deliver higher speeds”, says Ofcom.

The combination of these two bands “creates the potential for next generation mobile broadband services to be widely available across the UK,” says the regulator, “while at the same time having the capacity to cope with significant demand, even in urban centres”.

Ofcom has committed to bringing faster mobile broadband to 95% of the population, and expects 4G service to become available to consumers from 2013.

BT has already joined forces with Everything Everywhere, the parent company of Orange (www.Orange.co.uk) and T-Mobile broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk), to launch a 4G pilot in Cornwall later this year.

It will be capable of delivering speeds of up to 100Mb broadband either to advanced dongles or via a wireless internet connection, though Ofcom predicts that real-world speeds will be closer to current home broadband averages.

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