BT and Everything Everywhere have joined forces for the first ever trial of 4G LTE services for both mobile and fixed line customers.
The communications giants will provide shared LTE services for 100 mobile and 100 fixed-wireless broadband triallists in Cornwall.
The 4G LTE will be delivered using 10MHz of test 800MHz in the St Newlyn East and the surrounding area of South Newquay.
The final 10 per cent of the country won't be covered by Government funds.
With many wondering how to get broadband to the final 10 per cent of the UK population who receive either poor or no connectivity, LTE could be a good option.
Other options being explored include satellite transmissions and use of so-called white spaces.
"The final 10 per cent of the country won't be covered by Government funds and is exceedingly difficult to reach with the available standard fixed line solutions," said Nigel Stagg, CEO of BT Wholesale.
"Our proof of concept trial in Cornwall will test the capabilities and services that a shared fixed and mobile data network can support and is just one of the technologies, along with fibre, that we are looking at to offer a possible solution to the rural broadband challenge."
Wide scale deployment of 4G won't happen in the UK until 2017. The rollout should begin in 2013 if delays to the upcoming spectrum auction do not interfere with progress.
The auction has already been delayed by three to six months something the Open Digital Policy group has claimed will cost the UK up to 366 million.
Earlier this week, George Osborne committed 150 million for the improvement of mobile coverage, but there was no mention of helping push 4G forward.
The UK is far behind other nations when it comes to 4G. The US, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Korea have all made 4G available to their citizens.
With the Government planning to make the UK the best connected country in Europe by 2015, the Coalition will want to ensure there are no more delays to the auction.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
Equinix acquires BT's Irish data centers in €59 million dealNews As BT moves to an asset-light business model, Equinix looks to expand
-
BT just extended the PSTN switch-off deadline — here’s what you need to knowNews BT described the move as a “revision”, citing a series of improvements to the wider PSTN switch-off programme
-
BT misses key Huawei kit removal deadline, but the telco is “almost over the line”News BT is still reliant on non-compliant Huawei equipment for 2G and 3G services
-
Ofcom net neutrality update dismisses calls for big tech contributionsNews Ofcom’s net neutrality stance has been criticized by some industry stakeholders
-
BT partners with HPE to deliver new global managed LAN service
News The latest collaboration combines BT’s connectivity expertise with HPE Aruba Networking’s latest LAN solutions
-
Making the switchWhitepaper Realise the benefits of IP technology ahead of the digital ‘switch-on’
-
BT and OneWeb succeed in "game changer" satellite connection trialNews Smaller businesses in rural areas could benefit from improvements to backhaul services using satellites, with speeds increasing by an order of magnitude
-
BT, Nokia crack four carrier aggregation on a 5G network in first for EuropeNews The breakthrough marks the first successful use of such technology on a live network, and could lead to dramatic network improvements
