Highly doubtful that EE will part with spectrum and aid a compeditor before they have to.

As things stand EE will have 1800MHz LTE available for about a year before any other network can offer it.

It will be interesting to see what Three will do with that spectrum. I don't know how easy it will be for them to broadcast 1800mhz from a network built around 21000mhz or if they will use it for 2G, 3G or 4G.

Interesting times though!

3 jointly own MBNL Ltd which is a rado access network providing services for EE and 3 UK. MBNL will be able to provison the new spectrum for 3 to use for LTE when it's released by EE. There is no chance 3 will use it for 2G or 3G as their priority is now data provision although they like EE will have to provide new phones and dongles for cusotmers to uptake LTE mobile broadband on this frequency range.

This I know - I was wondering how simple rolling out this spectrum would be. I assume new antennae would be needed at least on every cell tower or would they be able to use the ones already there for EE? I imagine contractual and legal issues might play a part there?

It isn't, at least for the GSM version. It doesn't even support HSDPA+. I know, because I own a HTC Evo 3D.

from what ive read 4G/LTE can only support data. Texts and calls will still be over 3G can anyone confirm/ correct me on this?

Texts are just data anyway and Verizon in the US and networks in other countries have successfully tested VoLTE (Voice over LTE).

Data connections can be used to handle whatever you want.

Depends whether the 4G network incorporates an IMS to route the calls via IP to PSTN etc.

The Ofcom document suggested Three would be able to launch LTE 6 months after EE, so I think you're wrong.

Is there a technical reason why ofcom can not just start selling the 4G frequencies this year ?? to the remaining networks.

This is one of the reasons the UK lacks behind other countries because of the red tape all the time.

A few questions: Is the new network that they are creating going to be their only 4G network? Or are the Orange and T-Mobile networks going to become 4G as well?
Or are people on Orange and T-Mobile going to switch to this network if they have a capable handset in the same way that you do between the two networks now?

Will a 4g signal go further than a 3g signal ?

Depends...

850Mhz (being auctioned later this year) wil reach much further and be far more able to reach inside buildings than the present 2100Mhz 3G services.

1800Mhz will be good in most urban areas and slightly better than current 3G 2100MHz.

2600MHz (being auctioned later this year) will be OK for cities and built up areas but will be the least effective at covering distance and penetrating buildings.

how long do you think it will take for EE to roll out 4G outside towns and cities?

Its a pretty straight forward upgrade and most of the work has already been done. All that's needed is to flick the switch. Expect wide coverage from launch. Probably better than O2s 3G coverage

if this is the case im seriously considering ditching my BT landline, I only use it for broadband

I think that O2 and Vodafone will suffer from this but it's about time O2 was put in its place for once. Ever since it changed from BT Cellnet the service declined very badly! It should've stayed with BT.

This seems like the best place for this...


Some information from a mutual acquaintance of everyone here:

EE's LTE network will apparently be up and running in some form or another by the end of this month (I'm not talking about the press conference, this is separate information).
It will be data-only, initially at least - calls will be routed through 2G/3G fallback.

It is apparently also looking likely that Orange and T-Mobile customers will be able to use LTE, though that's the extent of the information I have on that.

Also, it has supposedly been confirmed that the iPhone5 will support the 1800MHz LTE band.
Other than that, dongles are likely to be the first LTE-capable devices EE launch with handsets from HTC/Samsung in the pipeline as well.

Awesome. I bet O2 are delighted.

From that then, I assume that 4G will get the switch-on in a selection of places in the first instance (probably cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester).

I must admit I would've been baffled if the iPhone '5' didn't support all forms of LTE.

All round good news!

I'd assume that is a decision networks can make then? (as in LTE is capable of voice calls). Otherwise when the 800Mhz spectrum eventually gets sold off and used you could have a stupid situation where someone gets LTE signal so can use data but doesn't get 3G or 2G signal so cannot make calls!

Depends what you mean by 'all'.

It likely won't even support all 3G bands, Apple have repeatedly ignored the 1700/2100MHz AWS band that T-Mobile US use for 3G.
That and there are 43 officially-defined frequency bands that LTE could be deployed on - you can be pretty certain no phone will ever support all of them



LTE is is inherently just a data connection but networks round the world have started work on adopting and implementing VoLTE - a VoIP-like way of carrying calls on LTE networks.
In the long run, VoLTE seems to be the way all networks will end up going but for ease and speed of implementation, using legacy networks as fallback is pretty common.

I believe the way it works is that when you're making or receiving a call the handset will temporarily disconnect from the LTE network.
It would be possible to connect to LTE and legacy networks simultaneously without any special equipment but the strain on a handset's battery would be prohibitive so most handsets tend to switch specifically for calls.

Sort of common knowledge, HTC and Samsung already have phones capable of 1800Mhz LTE


As LTE has a completely different IP based network most operators will be creating links into their old 2g/3g network for backwards compatability, however with LTE being IP based there is no IP based circuit to other networks and PSTN. So if a network does not have an IMS integrated then LTE has no connection for voice/texts to other networks/PSTN. In time an IMS will be intergrated allowing a true 4G only network. (Hense why current 2g/3g operators are scratching their heads trying to have 2 technologies running together - much like the OUK/TMUK merger)

That's about the only bit that could be deemed common knowledge.

The fact that EE intend to have a functional LTE network by the end of this month and not in October or November as previously thought, the fact the new iPhone has been confirmed to support 1800MHz LTE, the fact that EE will be be using fallback for calls instead of VoLTE, the fact that it's looking increasingly likely that the Orange and T-Mobile brands will support LTE as well are all pretty newsworthy - especially given the source.

Hmm, suggestion here that there will indeed be a switch on of 4G LTE in the UK on Tuesday at the EE event, all be it probably a small one.

http://thedroidguy.com/2012/09/every...rk-on-tuesday/

Can't wait to hear what the brand is going to be.

Anyone got any idea whether Virgin customers will be able to use LTE?

The closest I can find to any information on the matter is a positive press release from Virgin following the initial announcement that EE would be allowed to re-farm their spectrum.
I guess that suggests that they feel it's likely they'll be given access or at the very least that's what they're angling for but if anyone's heard anything more conclusive...