http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...-apple-iphone5

Surprising new.

It was always going to be late Q3... Ofcom still have to licence the spectrum and the roll out just isn't at a stage where they could launch in June/July with the same coverage that EE had at launch.

Been saying from the start O2/Voda late Sept and Three early Oct.
I'm yet to even see (or hear about) any installations of Three's Samsung cabs..... That let's you know where they are.

That's interesting I didn't think it would take that long to get everything set up etc. From their websites, Vodafone's in particular, you would think that 4G is going to be released tomorrow!

I thought everyone already had the licences for 4G and they were issued to the providers back in late march/early april. I did think Vodafone and O2 were going be summer and yeah Three was always going be early/late october as they don't get the first 20MHz till september.

It I am guessing it was easier for EE to roll out 4G as a lot of masts had already been done by MBNL where as vodafone/O2 haven't got that. I really doubt apple is going release a new version of the 5 this late on they will just make sure the 5S works in the UK as that is due out september.

From what i've heard, Voda and O2 are further behind than they want to be on their 4G rollout.

The Licences were issued on 1st March 2013.


http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...-final-results

The only odd thing was Ofcoms consultation on 4G devices

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1815802

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/con...reless/summary

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...ion_notice.pdf


The iPhone 5S compatibility is a poor excuse for Vodafone really

O2 are further behind on their 3G coverage than they should be too

Wavejock has me on his ignore list so I should get away with that dig

O2 are a Real Late Starter which reminds me of this fabulous song and video by Nerina Pallot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rbfgj4og-M

Back on topic I would expect O2 to follow Vodafone and delay roll out.

I figured it was I expect we will hear back from ofcom's weird phone thing soon as that seems a mere formality at best. Looking forward more to see if the refarming has been approved.

Agreed the 4G device approval for 800MHz and 2.6GHz is just Ofcom being pedantic and really isn't important as its pretty much a rubber stamping exercise. Im sure refarming will get the green light too.

Agreed as if they denied which they won't public backlash would be immense. I think it will as well as they were the ones to ask the networks about it this time I can't see a lot of it happening apart from perhaps Vodafone getting 1800MHz refarmed as they should survive with just 900MHz for 2G. But for rest of network the spectrum is stretched thin anyway. I think Three has done as it hoping it can perhaps get 2x5MHz eventually free of 2100MHz which can be aggregated together when LTE advanced with there 1800MHz and 800MHz happens can't see any other use for it at moment.

I like that song too! :P

The problem for Vodafone and O2 regarding 1800MHz is there inst much spectrum and they have only deployed it in Cities and very highly populate areas as additional 2G capacity.

Also they have to be careful with their 2G customers on 900MHz with some of that capacity being used 3G 900MHz.

Remember only about 50% of their customers have Smartphones and there will be plenty of legacy 2G devices in use by older folks who have kept hold Nokia 3210's and refuse to upgrade

This isnt a problem for a more modern network like Three who have a lot of tech savvy customers who can only use 3G devices.

Cool

Was dreading someone saying they like Joe Mcelderry's cover (shudder)

I got to meet her and her hubby recently at a concert too. She was really funny

True there is only a bit of Spectrum I believe they have 2x5MHz of 1800MHz each. I think Vodafone are in a better position for this as they more percentage of smartphone customers than O2 does and less customers overall so less need to use that spectrum for 2G. I think and they likely do as well else they wouldn't of applied for permission refarm that they can use the 900MHz 2G to keep network running. As from what I remember Vodafone uses very little of the 1800MHz anyway I think it something like 1 in 5 masts use 1800MHz and rest use 900MHz won't be a loss of range either. What they are going use that freed up 1800MHz spectrum for, I can guess two things either they are going to sell it, to most likely Three as EE have enough, or they are going to use it for 3G, and switch some of there 2100MHz [Which they also asked permission for] where they have more spectrum onto 4G. As the 1800MHz is not enough for 4G but enough for a 3G bolster with there 3G900 I think they would have enough. Use 1800MHz on 3G in cities to shore up there 900MHz similar to what they doing now on 2G to do on 3G slowly refarming that 2100MHz. This would give them 800MHz. 2100MHz and 2600MHz on 4G. Overall giving them a nice portfolio of spectrum for 4G. Also slowly as they turn of there 2G network which must happen Americans have realised it and so should we they will be able use 2G 900MHz on 4G bolstering there long range 4G similar to how the 2100MHz will bolster the 2600MHz in City areas. How much does a 3G phone these days cost £15-20 you can probably get a bog standard phone for. If some can't be bothered pay that surprised they can be bothered use a phone. It happened for analog tv that got switched of it only same with 2G on phones. Obviously there 3G network and possibly 4G network would have to be solid before they did turn of 2G.

Sorry that was so long but that is what I think they are likely planning it would make sense and also increase there network. Not a short term plan but as a long term plan it gives good benefits.

They were originally launching next month so that's quite some push back. There was me saying in a thread the other day that just because a company puts out a press release saying they'll deliver x in x many months or years doesn't mean they'll deliver that much in that time, especially when you're saying 98% geographic coverage in just a few years.

You have to take into account previous experience like the fact O2 promised brilliant 3G coverage, but didn't even deliver the minimum amount required to comply with their license, even now it's remarkably low compared to competitors with 10 million people not covered.

From what i am told by someone that has recently quit cornerstone,the Vodafone core network is ready but cornerstone has not delivered the cell sites yet.

They have rolled out sites..

Its actually the old E-GSM frequencies they used for 3G 900 (U900) which were frequencies that were originally used on their analogue network before that.

As far as I am aware they didn't use any of their existing 900 2g frequencies for u900, just the ones gained from moving the Egsm to somewhere else (either 1800 or 900).

So are we to expect a similar announcement from O2 shortly then? If Beacon are building the sites for both and one isn't ready surely that means the other won't be there either..

O2 & Voda only have 5mhz of 900 each from the legacy E-GSM service.. Not enough to run a acceptable LTE network over, even if it were just for extra capacity. Also bare in mind it is at a different segment of 900 then what they use for 2G so it would be hard to combine. It's why when 900 3G arrived speeds didn't increase as the capacity for it just wasn't there.. Great for upping coverage but as more phones have become 900 3G in cities, this spectrum has become saturated.

O2 and Voda need to accelerate the 3G roll out and aggressively convert people to 3G devices for them to be able to use the frequencies that they currently use for 2G.

This is probably why Voda is applying to use its 2100 (3G) spectrum for 4G.. As they have plenty spare there.

Likely.. Although O2 should still launch just before Voda.

I had the opposite that it's fibre issues holding things up.. But granted I am getting a lot of mixed messages to the specific hold up. I am however told there are ready (ish) sites out there though

Almost a 1 year head start for EE4G and coverage will be at over 70% by then....impressive!

Nobody has seen the Samsung cabs at 3/MBNL sites yet.
There was a post on here last week (cant find it now) quoting 3's CEO or head of networks as saying they could pull forward release of 4g and that was being interpreted by some as, 3 were ready to 'flick a switch'.
Highly unlikely without the hardware in place!!

Weird. Certainly not going to be flicking any switches for 800 as they have no 800 masts in place. Period.

As for 1800 Three LTE one they can't right now as no spectrum yet, no cabinets (I've checked where EE launched first in 5 major cities) but they could go down the line of using EE's Huawei cabinets as a short term solution.. But they would be an annoyance for both companies. In EE's planning applications for the 2G refresh/LTE installations space has been left for Samsung cabinets (actually listed as that in drawings) but no applications for Three asking for them to install them nor as I said actual hardware on the ground. I'm not ruling out that there are cabinets somewhere just I'm yet to hear for anyone at EE say anything about them being in place or see any myself.

Lord Lucan, I'm in agreement with you, the equipment is not there a so a quick launch can't happen.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1827262

This was the post where it was discussed that 3 could bring 4g launch date forward if they thought customers were being lost.

I think that lever would be to use EE equipment in short term.. Until sites have Samsung gear in place. It was an option on the table before they decided to take separate routes. Huawei would have been the supplier for the combined 4G effort... So that says a lot.