Three Ireland and Ericsson have announced the launch of a new managed 5G service aimed at bolstering enterprise connectivity.

Dubbed 3Business Broadband Pro, the new service represents a “groundbreaking leap in connectivity” for businesses across the country, the duo claimed, providing users with improved reliability, performance, and scalability.

The service will use the Ericsson Cradlepoint X10 Router, managed through the Ericsson NetCloud service, and is targeted for use across a range of sectors, from retail to remote operations.

“By combining Ericsson’s advanced wireless solutions with Three’s customer-centric approach, we are enabling connectivity that will unlock new levels of agility, security, and scalability,” said Ross Hockey, senior director for EMEA service provider sales at Ericsson.

“This innovative platform not only addresses the evolving technology needs of today’s businesses but also paves the way for future digital transformation and growth.”

What customers can expect from 3Business Broadband Pro

Underpinned by Ericsson NetCloud, the duo said the new managed service will give users a “single dashboard” through which they can configure, deploy, and monitor network devices across multiple locations.

This includes access to 4G and 5G connectivity depending on specific needs, Ericsson revealed in a statement.

Meanwhile, the X10 router will facilitate the delivery of the service, with customers also granted an “optional battery backup capability” to maintain connectivity in the event of power outages.

Key features of the managed 5G service touted by the duo include “pro high-speed connectivity” for uploads and downloads, which Ericsson said will ensure businesses can “operate seamlessly without interruptions”.

Scalability is another big talking point with the launch of the service, with enterprises able to adjust usage based on changing needs. This will give users the ability to add new users and locations without the need for costly infrastructure expansion projects.

Other features include “high-grade encryption” and data protection measures to bolster security and ensure compliance with privacy regulations

“Three understands how important it is for businesses to have solutions that are agile, reliable and secure,” said Ciara O’Reilly, head of business product at Three Ireland.

“Utilizing Ericsson’s transformational technology, 3Business Broadband Pro will truly alter how businesses control and engage with their own connectivity systems, providing an enhanced means of managing their users and hardware remotely.”

Similarly, the service will offer customers enhanced support through Three Ireland’s customer care team in Limerick.

This, the duo said, will allow remote access to equipment to streamline troubleshooting and remediation in the event of faults or downtime.

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Nokia has announced that it won a contract to bring what NASA calls “tipping point” technology to the moon. Nokia will be tasked with bringing 4G cellular service to the moon’s surface.

The goal is to create an ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022. This LTE service will create communications capabilities for the NASA Artemis program.

The Artemis program is NASA’s venture to take humankind back to the moon. NASA’s Artemis web page says the program’s aiming to land the next man and woman on the moon’s surface by 2024 and establish a sustainable exploration presence by decade’s end. The website continues, “we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.”

To accomplish all this, NASA has begun awarding contracts to various companies to develop the necessary technology, like the cellular network. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the 14 companies selected at the virtual fall Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium meeting.

“NASA's significant investment in innovative technology demonstrations, led by small and large U.S. businesses across nine states, will expand what is possible in space and on the lunar surface. Together, NASA and industry are building up an array of mission-ready capabilities to support a sustainable presence on the Moon and future human missions to Mars,” said Bridenstine.

The list of selected companies and their contracts are as follows:

• Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance of Houston, $22.1 million
• Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, $5.8 million
• Eta Space of Merritt Island, Florida, $27 million
• Intuitive Machines of Houston, $41.6 million
• Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, $89.7 million
• Masten Space System of Mojave, California, $10 million, $2.8 million
• Nokia of America Corporation of Sunnyvale, California, $14.1 million
• pH Matter of Columbus, Ohio, $3.4 million
• Precision Combustion Inc. of North Haven, Connecticut, $2.4 million
• Sierra Nevada Corporation of Madison, Wisconsin, $2.4 million
• SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, $53.2 million
• SSL Robotics (Maxar Technologies) of Pasadena, California, $8.7 million
• Teledyne Energy Systems of Hunt Valley, Maryland, $2.8 million
• United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colorado, $86.2 million

Nokia has had a big year. The NASA contract is the latest in a number of significant announcements for the communications brand in 2020. In July Nokia launched its first commercial 5G standalone network. Just this past weekend the company signed a deal with Google to move its IT infrastructure to the Google Cloud.

Mobile network download speeds rose the fastest in Birmingham against any other city over the latter half of 2019, making the Midlands hub the fastest city in the UK for 4G speeds.

With aggregate median download speeds of 28.9 Mbps, Birmingham narrowly edged Liverpool’s 28.8 Mbps to rank as the number one city, on average across all four major network operators.

The pair were closely followed by Manchester, which recorded median aggregate speeds of 26.7 Mbps, according to performance benchmarking from RootMetrics.

Researchers used a fleet of Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphones to conduct tests during day and night sessions, while walking and driving, to gain a broad reflection of the levels of 4G access and speeds. These tests were performed with all four network operators: EE, Vodafone, Three and O2.

Although the company does perform 5G testing, no 5G speeds were factored into the rankings due to sporadic availability. However, the firm anticipates that the technology will be available widely enough to test in its next report spanning the first half of 2020, out later this year.

“While it’s clear that 4G LTE networks provided generally fast speeds in most UK metros (especially those of EE and Vodafone), 5G could ultimately change the game for end users looking for fast data connectivity,” the report concluded.

“We’ve already begun our first-half 2020 testing in UK metros, and those results will include 5G (where available). As 5G continues to expand, we expect to see faster aggregate median download speeds and stronger performance in general going forward.

“Keep in mind, however, that new network technologies always take time to reach their full capabilities, and we don’t expect 5G to become ubiquitous until 2021 or 2022," the report said.

Birmingham saw a staggering rise in average speeds during the second half of 2019, up 4.2 Mbps, which was also the greatest speed spike among all UK cities tested. This is due to consistently high speeds from EE and Vodafone, combined with much faster speeds from Three and O2.

Hull saw the second-largest speed boost, rising by 3.6 Mbps to achieve 24.5 Mbps, given a massive speed increase in EE speeds from 36.8 Mbps in the first half of 2019 to 51.2 Mbps.

This is slightly faster than London, in which RootMetrics registered middling speeds of 24.1 Mbps, ranking the UK’s capital 9th among the 16 UK cities tested.

Generally, the mobile performance was steady across most cities during the latter half of 2019, with routine network upgrades leading to generally small, incremental improvements.

A massive variation in 4G speeds between the four mobile network operators can be attributed to a number of factors, especially the availability and quality of infrastructure. Fluctuations in download speeds over time can, in turn, be affected by things like the construction of new buildings, to new cell towards being added to a city.

Of the worst-performing cities, meanwhile, Newcastle ranked last, with sluggish download speeds of 20.1 Mbps, followed by Leeds and Bradford (classed as one), and Sheffield, each registering 20.7 Mbps.

Glasgow was the fastest non-English city, boasting a fourth-place ranking with speeds of 26.7 Mbps, while Cardiff and Belfast, of Wales and Northern Ireland, ranked a very similar 12th and 13th with speeds of 21.7 and 21.6 Mbps respectively.

As cellular technology has changed, comparing LTE vs 4G has become increasingly common for businesses, but not always for the reasons you might think.

There is a degree of confusion around the two technologies, largely driven by unhelpful marketing within the sector. In some cases, customers have been presented by products jointly referred to as ‘4G LTE’, which only adds to the confusion.

Both technologies reached maturity at the same time, as the successors to the third-generation (3G) of wireless communications technology. At the time of their respective releases, each was hyped as a big step forward for mobile networking.

LTE vs 4G: All the various terminology explained

To understand the difference between LTE and 4G, it’s crucial to explore how both rose to prominence, as well as how these technologies work.

Despite 4G standards being set by the ITU-R, it does not function as a regulatory body and has not set out a restrictive definition.

This means it has no control over how 4G is marketed, which goes towards explaining why you might encounter 4G rates that are lower than the ITU-R’s baseline. Around the world, operators advertise LTE as 4G, as that is how they have chosen to define the technology.

Why is LTE confused with 4G?

LTE has come to be known as 4G around the world due to marketing. Alternative names for the technology, such as 3.95G, were simply seen as being less effective for conveying the leap between 3G and LTE.

Many mobile network operators have capitalized on the confusion to sell LTE as 4G and, as the ITU-R has no enforcement power, nobody has worked to curtail this.

To add further confusion, there is also a faster version of LTE technology, which on paper can approach the speeds of 4G, known as LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), or sometimes 4G+.

LTE-A was first proposed in Japan and is available around the world. It was conceived as a network technology that could approach 1Gbits/sec, but in practice has been seen to operate at just 300 Mbits/sec.

Is 4G better than LTE?

If we are considering 4G and LTE based on their definitions as set out by the ITU-R, then yes, 4G does offer faster speeds than LTE. 

However, as we have explained, depending on the mobile network you are using, you may not be able to access what is considered 'true 4G'.

What does this mean for 5G?

Having separated LTE vs 4G, you might be wondering how both of these technologies compare to the latest generation of cellular networks – 5G.

Data transfer rates and latency are the main differences between LTE and 5G, with 5G boasting a theoretical top speed of 20Gbits/sec and latencies around 10-20ms.

But beyond the obvious, LTE and 5G have other differences. Both use different network spectrums - LTE and 4G are most often deployed between 800-3200MHz, while 5G can be found at the ‘mid band’ of 3.3-3.8 GHz in most regions and (except 3.7-4.98 GHz in the US.

The US is among a number of countries that also deploy 5G at high-frequency spectrums known as millimetre-wave (mmWave). This allows for extremely fast speeds and low latency over a short distance, with multiple gigabits per second for both downloads and uploads.

The US and Japan have allocated 28GHz as the band for mmWave, while the international standard elsewhere is 26GHz.

Network ‘sunsets’, in which networks such as 2G and 3G are switched off, are also considerations in the present and near future.

This will present opportunities for both 5G and 6G (when it arrives) to make use of radio bands that would otherwise have been in use, and also allow network operators to save money running outdated and hardly-used network equipment.

Though 5G has continued to expand worldwide, Ericsson has predicted that the technology will not eclipse 5G until 2027. In 2023, LTE still makes up 61.4% of mobile connections, compared to just 17.6% that fall under 5G.

4G represents the fourth generation of mobile networking technology, having replaced the previous 3G standard, and 2G before that. Whereas 2G and 3G introduced new capabilities, such as texts and video calls respectively, 4G simply supercharged data transfers to make all these mobile services work much faster.

Mobile network EE was the first to introduce a 4G network in the UK as it's only provider capable of supporting a wide rollout with its own infrastructure. Since then, Vodafone, O2 and Three have all launched their own networks, although EE has consistently dominated in a variety of metrics in yearly rankings.

What's the difference between 3G and 4G?

The upgrade to 4G from 3G brought with it a significant increase to average download and upload speeds. In order to be officially classified as 3G, a network must be capable of reaching 200 Kbits/sec, although 3G usually has average speeds far beyond this.

In contrast, in order to qualify for 4G, a network needs to reach speeds of 100 Mbits/sec if situated on a moving vehicle, such as a train. However, when connecting to a stationary network, a user should expect to see speeds of at least 1 Gbits/sec.

Is 4G the same as LTE?

You may think that 1 Gbits/sec is surprising, and certainly not a speed you recognise from using 4G - and for good reason.

4G and LTE, short for ‘Long Term Evolution’, are often thought to be the same thing and some even use the terms interchangeably. The confusion stems from the habit of LTE being marketed as 4G LTE, which isn’t strictly correct. LTE is a type of 4G technology, sitting between ‘true’ 4G and 3G in terms of speeds, and typically the service you will most often encounter.

This unusual classification of 4G is largely the result of a lack of regulation across the industry. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R) has set out what it regards as ‘true 4G’, namely connections that are capable of peak speeds of 100 Mbits/sec for “high mobility connections”, and peak speeds of 1 Gbits/sec for stationary connections.

Many providers in the UK have been able to market networks that they describe as 4G, but are in fact 4G LTE. For example, Opensignal research from 2020 found that the fastest 4G network in the UK was EE’s, which was capable of download speeds of 39 Mbits/sec. This is, of course, far faster than anything possible with 3G, but significantly slower than the standard set out by ITU-R. As a result of market pressure, LTE was folded into the 4G family, although many regard it as ‘3.95G’.

Which networks offer 4G in the UK?

Finding a 4G provider in the UK is quite easy. All four of the country’s biggest telecommunication companies - O2, EE, Three, and Vodafone - offer 4G contracts using their own networks, which all have the ability to cover 99% of the UK population.

Smaller network providers such as Giffgaff, Virgin Mobile and TalkTalk also provide 4G contracts, as they are operated by one of the four above-mentioned providers. That is why their network performance will be reliant on the infrastructure of their parent company.

Can I get 4G on my phone?

Yes. 4G LTE has been available on phones since 2012, when is when Apple announced that the iPhone 5 would be their first smartphone product to support the connectivity.

Prior to that, HTC unveiled its first 4G Android device in 2010, but the technology only began to be considered more mainstream in 2014 following more widely-available infrastructure and releases from Apple and Samsung.

Since then, a growing number of mid-range smartphone manufacturers, such as Huawei or Xiaomi, have started supporting 4G. It is now considered a widely-available networking technology, and has now been superceded by 5G when it comes to smartphone marketing.

4G coverage in the UK

Mobile networks now widely offer 4G, either through their own networks or using that of one of the bigger suppliers.

Network operators tend to quote coverage based on population, which normally results in a pretty impressive result. EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three all claim to serve 99% of the population.

However, that doesn't provide the full picture, as availability depending on where you are in the UK is by far a more useful measure. EE has consistently scored the best in terms of availability, with customers having a 4G connection 93.6% of the time, according to the most recent Opensignal report.

Vodafone comes in second at 86.4%, followed by O2 with 83.6%, and Three at 81.2%. Should a 4G-enabled device fail to get 4G signal, it will fall back on older technologies like 3G and Edge if they are available, so users should still be able to use mobile data most of the time, although it may be slow.

Download speed is perhaps the second most important metric, again one that EE dominates with an average of 44 Mbits/sec, almost double the speed of its nearest competitor Three (25.2 Mbits/sec). Vodafone scored average speeds of 21.6 Mbits/sec, followed by O2 - the slowest network - on 17.1 Mbits/sec.

In terms of streaming videos, the experience is best on EE (72 points), with near identical performance ratings across the other networks (around 66 points).

Other providers' coverage will depend on which network's infrastructure they use. For example, Giffgaff and Tesco Mobile both use O2's network, and so also claim to reach 99% of the population, but with 83.6% availability across UK regions. TalkTalk, meanwhile, uses Vodafone's infrastructure, so comes in at 86% availability.

5G

The fifth generation of mobile networking has finally arrived in the UK, although its availability is severely restricted and is likely to remain limited for some time to come. EE was the first to launch a 5G network, followed by Vodafone and Three.

We're on the verge of 5G roll out. It's due to reach a selection of UK cities in 2019 and according to most providers, 5G is a year or so away from mass deployment. And the technology that's going to bring everything else, from driverless cars to smart cities, into our daily lives.

While the telecoms companies race to be the first to deploy 5G networks, there's a list of exciting new technologies waiting for the industry to bring them to market. Self-driving technology will benefit from 5G's faster data transfer speeds, as will most IoT based technologies. Same too for artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, like Donald Trump talking about 6G, it's worth remembering 4G and the influence it has had on our world. Already companies such as Samsung and Huawei are unveiling 5G enabled smartphones, but long before them, the mobile phone was radically changed by 4G.

For years, 4G has enabled us to connect to the web from almost anywhere and transformed our mobile phones from just text and call-based devices to handsets of immense potential. This revolutionary technology no longer meets our demand now and is soon to be superseded by 5G.

We've taken a look at how 4G transformed mobile telecommunications and how 5G will impact the industry and our daily lives.

5G will enable the IoT

The first 5G networks and devices are expected to be available as soon as this year, however, they're unlikely to achieve commercial success until the early 2020s. While the exact definition of what constitutes 5G is a cause of contention among technologists and companies, it's best to look at 5G as simply being smarter, faster and more efficient than 4G.

As we enter an era where more people and devices are connected to the internet, it'll be crucial to have a mobile network standard that can support huge demand. 5G networks will also enable more effective device-to-device communication, provide more bandwidth and lower latency thanks to built-in computing intelligence.

4G was a massive feat for mobile technology, but nobody could really predict how fast smartphones and tablets would evolve. There are also big differences in terms of speed. Although 5G is still under debate and evolving, there have been some key milestones.

For instance, in 2015, 5G researchers working at the University of Surrey were able to reach speeds of 1Tbit/sec. Just to compare, 4G can hit speeds of 300mbps. A high-speed mobile network will be crucial if communication between ever-increasing amounts of connected devices is to be effective.

Alex Gledhill, from Intel UK, gives a good description of this technology: "5G is envisioned as an end to end ecosystem that enables a fully mobile and connected society. In a nutshell, 5G networks will provide more data bandwidth and less latency due to built-in computing intelligence aimed at handling more data more efficiently than today's 4G networks."

Coping with demand

Low latency will also be a key differentiator between 4G and 5G. That means you'll be able to download and upload files quickly and easily, without having worry about the network or phone suddenly crashing. Once you've downloaded an item, response times will be better. For example, you'll be able to watch a 4K video almost straight away, and you shouldn't experience any pausing or buffering during playback.

5G will also fix bandwidth issues. Currently, there are so many different devices connected to 3G and 4G networks, they don't have the infrastructure to cope effectively. 5G will be able to handle current devices and emerging technologies such as driverless cars and connected home products.

Constantly evolving

Although we're still a few years away from rollout, there have been some positive strides made in the development of the connectivity. Intel is one of the companies pioneering 5G in partnership with mobile network infrastructure providers and carriers.

"Intel has partnered with AT&T and Ericsson to launch the first 5G business customer trial at Intel's Austin, Texas, facility. That doesn't mean the current networks will go away. They will funnel into 5G, updating along with devices and technologies," Gledhill tells IT Pro.

"To deliver 5G connectivity and intelligence, we must work together and industry partnerships are more critical than ever. No one company can move this technology forward alone, which means collaboration between industry leaders from device and equipment manufacturers to network operators and service providers is vital."

Intel isn't the only company focusing on 5G. Qualcomm has also developed a 5G chip to embed in devices. The company's X50 modem was revealed last year and has already been placed in Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G, but that's not due to be commercially available until the summer.

At the tail-end of 2017, EE ended its trial of 5G technology, delivering download speeds of 2.8Gbps using the 3.5GHz test spectrum and a Huawei base unit. Currently, a number of phone manufacturers have unveiled 5G enabled devices, such as Samsung and Huawei, meaning 5G could reach our phones earlier than previously predicted.

In the UK, the government has set out new proposals for forging full fibre broadband across the country with an eye on building the infrastructure for 5G. It is aiming to replace copper wire networks with a full fibre infrastructure, which it says is vital to underpin 5G coverage.

Currently, the UK is lagging behind other countries, such as Russia who trialled 5G coverage during the World Cup. Some matches were streamed live to viewers watching in virtual reality with superfast 5G streams.

Picture: Shutterstock

4G has been up and running for over eight years now, and it's since become the industry standard as consumers and businesses users alike need a high-speed connection to power their streaming, social media and remote working. While next-generation 5G connectivity is also now available, coverage remains limited and prices remain high.

All of the UK's mobile networks offer competitive 4G services and many have invested a lot of money to boost coverage to beat their rivals, how can you choose which is the best 4G mobile network for you?

There are lots of things to consider, beyond cost. Although all of the UK's major networks offer 4G services, some are more reliable and offer faster speeds than others. The other consideration is which device you want to go for as different networks also offer different phone models.

We've rounded up the best deals and benefits for each of the four major networks in the UK to see which suits your lifestyle and usage best.

(NB: these are the costs for an individual, SIM-only, 12-month contract. Business contracts and contracts with a phone can and likely will vary. Average speed results taken from www.opensignal.com. All data correct as of September 2020).

See also: What is 4G?

EE: 4G cost and reliability

EE was the first mobile operator to launch 4G services in the UK, and has long been hailed as the best network when it comes to speed, coverage and reliability. According to OpenSignal's latest Mobile Networks report, released in April 2020, this remains unchanged: EE comes out on top when it comes to download speeds, latency and 4G coverage.

According to the report, EE's 4G customers currently enjoy average download speeds of 35.9Mbps, more than 10Mbps faster than its nearest rival Vodafone. Average upload speeds come in at 9.7Mbps.

In terms of coverage, OpenSignal shows that EE's 4G serves 94.8% of the country's population, just shy of the operator's target to reach 95% coverage by the end of 2020.

EE's cheapest 4G plan starts at £20 per month, which comes with 100GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts, and guaranteed speeds of 60Mbps. The operator also offers a £23 plan that comes with 200GB of monthly data.

O2: 4G cost and reliability

O2's 4G offering has vastly improved in recent years, though it still falls behind its rivals when it comes to speeds and coverage.

According to OpenSignal data, the network currently has an average 4G download speed of 18Mbps, an improvement of less than 3Mbps since 2017, and almost half the average speeds offered by EE. It's upload speeds are also lacking, coming in at an average of 6.4Mbps. In terms of coverage, O2 currently reaches 89.2% of the UK population.

However, O2's 4G plans are cheaper than some. It's cheapest 4G SIM-only plan comes in at £10 per month, although this comes with only 5GB data. For £20 a month, this can be increased to 100GB.

Three: 4G cost and reliability

Three has long been seen as the smallest of the UK's 4G networks, and although it's services are improvement, it still falls short of rival networks.

OpenSignal's report shows that the network's average 4G speeds come in at 22.4Mbps, while customers see average upload speeds of 8.2Mbps on the company's 4G network. In terms of its availability, the network currently reaches 80% of the UK's population.

While it's struggling to compete on speeds and coverage, Three is known for offering a huge range of different packages. The company's cheapest plan costs £5 per month and comes with 1GB data, while paying £5, £10, or £18 per month increases this to 4GB, 8GB and 100GB of data, respectively. Three is also one of the only networks to offer unlimited data plans.

Vodafone: 4G cost and reliability

Vodafone's 4G network began life as a London-only service when it launched in 2013, but efforts to upgrade the network has helped position the provider as one of the UK's leading providers.

The networks offers the UK's second-fastest 4G speeds, according to OpenSignal, with average download speeds of 25.4Mbps. It also offers the second-fastest upload speeds, which come in at 9.1Mbps.

In terms of coverage, Vodafone's 4G network reaches 88% of the UK population, just 1.2% lower than rival O2.

At the time of writing, Vodafone is offering a 50% discount on its 4G SIM-only plans. That means you can pick up unlimited data for just £11 per month - although speeds will top out at 2Mbps. The network's bumper £37 plan also offers unlimited data but promises the "fastest speeds available".

Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)

Although the companies above control their own network infrastructures, they are by no means the only choice when it comes to 4G. There are a number of companies that make use of these infrastructures to provide their own services, although 4G coverage is still tied to the controlling company.

GiffGaff

Infrastructure: O2

GiffGaff has been voted best MVNO for multiple years thanks to its flexible contracts and reward schemes for community members. Unlike traditional operators, it does not have a high-street presence and relies on its community for customer support. As it uses O2's network, users can expect average speeds of 18Mbps.

Virgin Mobile

Infrastructure: EE

Virgin Mobile is known for its incredibly low starting prices, with rollover data that allows you to carry over any unused allowance from month to month. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are also free to use on this service, so they don't eat into your monthly data. The best part is that Virgin Mobile uses EE's infrastructure, which means customers get access to the fastest 4G speeds and the best coverage.

Sky Mobile

Infrastructure: O2

Sky Mobile is the newest MVNO on the list. Its biggest selling point is the idea of 'rollover' data, where customers are able to make use of unused data from one month and add it to the next. Sky Mobile will also let you switch between tariffs each month, even if you are locked into a contract. Sky Mobile also uses O2 infrastructure, so expect average 4G speeds of 18Mbps.

Tesco Mobile

Infrastructure: O2

One of the first supermarkets to dive into the mobile provider market, Tesco Mobile offers capped services, so you don't go over your allowance, and free roaming in 31 countries. You can even earn points as you use the service, which can be linked to your Tesco Clubcard. Tesco Mobile also uses O2 infrastructure, so expect 4G speeds to reach an average of 18Mbps.

Image: Shutterstock

More than a million British homes are losing out on acceptable broadband speeds as an Ofcom report has found that 4% of UK properties cannot get the bandwidth they need to meet their internet needs.

The watchdog's Connected Nations report noted that around 1.1 million UK properties, comprising homes and offices, are in areas that cannot get acceptably speedy broadband.

Ofcom defines 'decent' broadband speeds to be 10Mbps (megabits per second) for downloads and 1Mbps for uploads.

However, a swathe of UK properties cannot hit these speeds, particularly in rural areas where some buildings are a good distance from telephone exchanges or broadband street cabinets.

Some 17% of properties in rural areas have unacceptable broadband speed compared to 2% in urban areas.

This lack of decent broadband speeds could stymie people and businesses from accessing the services they need to carry out tasks such as working from home.

"Broadband coverage is improving, but our findings show there's still urgent work required before people and businesses get the services they need," said Ofcom's technology chief Steve Unger.

"Everyone should have good access to the internet, wherever they live and work. So we are supporting plans for universal broadband, and promoting investment in full-fibre technology that can provide ultrafast, reliable connections."

Interestingly, 90% of UK properties have access to 'superfast' broadband, but it is bought by less than four in ten properties meaning there is still plenty of scope for the broadband speeds across UK properties as a whole to improve.

And currently only 3% of properties have 'full fibre' access, whereby fibre optic cables are run all the way to a building not just a nearby cabinet and therefore offer better speeds.

Indoor 4G coverage is improving significantly, up 40% over last year, with six in ten properties receiving the speedy mobile broadband signal. There are still plenty of properties across Britain that don't have access to 4G signals; only 43% of UK properties have access to 4G coverage.

As such Unger stressed there's more work to be done to ensure the UK has the broadband coverage it needs.

"With all the technological advancements we've seen in recent years, people shouldn't have to second guess where they can and can't get decent mobile reception," he said.

"The public and our economy depend on mobile coverage that allows people to call, text or get online wherever they are. So we need to see mobile companies step up and prioritise improving coverage across the UK."

Given the UK is investing 645m into superfast broadband there are at least some efforts in place to improve the broadband speeds Britons have access to.

Commuting, I spend 64 minutes each day in the happiest place on Earth: a stuffed Tube carriage on the Northern Line. Assuming no delays (a bold assumption, let me tell you), that's 278 hours or roughly 11 and a half days every year. For those 11 and a half days, currently, I have no internet connection and can't even pretend to be a productive member of society.

This safe space away from the working world is about to be cracked wide open. Following a successful trial, TfL has announced that 4G will be coming to the London Underground with the rollout starting in 2019. Currently Wi-Fi is available at every station, but this change will mean you don't have to wait for stops to send email and more importantly, it will let you play Super Mario Run;on the go.

Obviously, that's not how TfL framed it, focusing more on the boon for productivity where the office is extended to that most conducive of working environments: the tiny gap between the Tube carriage doors and a business man's armpit. "The success of this trial shows that we are on track to unlock one of the UK's most high profile not-spots and deliver 4G mobile coverage throughout our tunnels and Tube stations," said Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL. "This is great news for our customers and will also help us generate vital commercial income to reinvest in modernising and improving transport in London."

The trial took place on the Waterloo and City line, which is closed on weekends for easy testing, and involved EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. Given the line comprises of just two stops Waterloo and Bank it's hardly the most pressing point to be upgraded with 4G reception, but you have to start somewhere.

Now, the race is on to find a service provider to deliver the extra coverage on the remaining 10 Tube lines something TfL will begin in the new year.

Research and Markets has released its 4G devices outlook for the coming four years, revealing shipments of devices are set to increase by 8.67% by 2021, with the fastest growing sales channel being online.

The research firm explained that online purchases are having a big impact on the sales of smartphones, with many handsets exclusively available through online channels. Manufacturers have realised the value of selling their devices solely throung online marketpklaces, which saves distribution costs, yet still enables them to attract their target market - young, tech-savvy consumers that make the majority of their high-value purchases online.

"The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is online distribution of devices," an analyst from the research team said. "A very popular phenomenon that came up 2-4 years ago was that of exclusive online distribution of mobile computing devices such as smartphones."

The company explained the younger generations spend much of their time on the internet, using their PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones as a gateway.

"With the added convenience of doorstep delivery and getting in-depth details of the smartphones, people want to purchase products with exclusive offers available online such as cash back on purchases. This encourages the younger generation to purchase products through the online channels," tha analyst said.

Internet speeds and the growing use of the internet have also had a positive impact on the purchasing of 4G devices. "With the rising digital communication, social media, and e-commerce, the penetration of the internet is expected to rise further," the report explained.

Despite internet penetration in APAC being the lowest of EMEA, the US and APAC, it accounted for 50% of 4G smartphone sales overall, demonstrating the power of the internet when considering distribution of 4G devices.

The UK's four main mobile networks are battling over control of the country's major regions, according to new research, with no one provider achieving total dominance.

Rootmetrics has revealed the four main UK networks all have hold over a country in the UK, with EE claiming top performance in England, Vodafone occupying the top spot in Northern Ireland and Three winning in Scotalnd and Wales.

EE is still the overall leader in market penetration, with its customers able to access 4G services across 90% of the UK. Vodafone's 4G network seems to be improving, with it having coverage across 82% of the UK, closely followed by Three with 81%. Trailing behind was O2 with only 67% of the UK covered by its 4G network.

"These latest results have really shaken things up and show the increasing competitiveness in the UK, particularly over the last six months," said Scott Stonham, general manager of Europe for RootMetrics.

"EE continues to lead the way, but Three and Vodafone are close behind. What is clear is that each operator showed strong performance in at least one particular country, while nobody was able to sweep the board at the four-nations level. UK consumers have strong mobile options depending on how and where they use their devices most."

However, performance of the four networks varies across the UK. Vodafone was the strongest competitor in Northern Ireland, winning the call performance award for most reliable service in the country, while O2 also showed promise, although it was only the best-in-class for text messaging in the region. As well as being the top overall provider in Scotland and wales, Three also won the award for most reliable network in England.

However, Rootmetrics' research also shows that some improvements are needed before everyone in the UK can take advantage of high-performing networks.

"To succeed, mobile operators must secure sufficient radio spectrum and invest in the necessary equipment, sites and operational teams to ensure consumers enjoy fast reliable mobile broadband," added Ian Fogg, senior research director for mobile and telecom at IHS Markit.

"With new UK spectrum allocations soon to be auctioned in the run up to 5G, these performance results provide a snapshot on the competitive balance between the UK mobile operators now, and highlight which operators most need to acquire new spectrum capacity if they are to be a future mobile performance winner."

Wembley Stadium was home to a speedy display, with EE and Qualcomm unveiling a gigabit 4G LTE connection with top speeds that would shame a home broadband connection.

Our sister title Alphr was on site for the demo, which saw a Sony Xperia XZ Premium hitting download speeds of 765Mbits/sec. The mobile infrastructure duo also promised upload speeds of 110Mbits/sec.

Such shows of speed aren't new to Qualcomm, which displayed gigabit LTE last year in Australia, but it highlights the potential for 4G to provide fast data connections even in crowded London, rather than waiting for 5G or depending solely on fibre broadband.

"Gigabit LTE is not simply about headline data download speeds, it's about bringing real-life benefits to the everyday user, regardless of the device they are using right now, and forms the first major step towards 5G," said Roberto Di Pietro, vice president of business development at Qualcomm Europe, in a statement. "It is exciting to see the culmination of all these technologies coming to life in Europe, as the first commercial devices capable of delivering this incredible user experience start to enter the industry."

To get such speeds using the system, you'll need a phone like the Sony Xperia ZX Premium, or another top end flagship with a 4x4 MIMO antenna array, such as the OnePlus 5.

The network upgrades are already switched on in Cardiff and the part of east London referred to as Tech City, with future upgrades across 2017 and 2018 due in other major UK cities.

"The insatiable desire for ever faster mobile speeds and increased network capacity is a driving force for technologies such as gigabit LTE," said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight. "It's exciting to see the technology being deployed in the UK providing a clear stepping stone towards 5G technology."

Of course, headline speeds are all well and good as long as providers can deliver on them - a promise that depends on local coverage among other factors. BBC's Watchdog just exposed Virgin Media for advertising broadband speeds of 200Mbps, while some customers managed to eke out just 6Mbps.

London, too, suffers from slow 4G and broadband speeds, according to the London Assembly, whose report this week found that the capital's coverage lags behind that of York, Edinburgh and Coventry.

Watchdog has revealed Virgin Media is failing to deliver the services it has promised customers, with some achieving a tiny proportion of the speeds they were promised by the broadband provider.

The BBC programme explained its staff posed as new customers wanting to sign up to a broadband package in areas around the UK and were repeatedly promised speeds of 200Mbps. However, when it came to the service being switched on, they could only browse the internet at a measly 6Mbps.

This is despite Virgin Media's boss Tom Mockridge releasing a statement in May saying 100Mbps would be the company's new lowest standard. He has also publicly denounced rival broadband providers that don't deliver on promises, saying "customers should know what they're paying for and not be hoodwinked".

Watchdog also investigated Virgin Media's customer services' reaction when disgruntled customers phoned up to complain about lacklustre broadband speeds. Many of those appearing on the programme reported they were told the slow broadband speeds were due to "over-utilisation issues," meaning too many people are trying to use the service at the same time.

"I, along with everybody at Virgin Media, am disappointed that, in these cases, we fell short of the high standards we set for ourselves and which our customers rightly expect of us," Mockridge said in a statement to Watchdog.

"We apologise for the inconvenience to these customers and have resolved the issues they raised. All our sales agents have been re-briefed on the company's sales policy and we are providing additional training to ensure everyone complies with it."

The company added that it invests more than 1 billion a year in its ultrafast network and said it's also adding another 200 million to the pot this year to upgrade network capacity in the hope that'll be enough to boost broadband speeds and capacity across the UK.

The economic productivity of London's businesses is being severely hampered by poor broadband and slow 4G speeds, according to a report published by the London Assembly.

TheRegeneration Committee of the Assembly's reportsaid that the capital's broadband lags behind York, Coventry and Edinburgh despite its role as a global competitive city.

It pointed to data from Thinkbroadband that found that out of 63 UK cities at the end of 2016 London ranked 30 with 77.4% of premises covered by ultrafast broadband connections. It said that in Europe, London performs poorly, ranking 26 out of 33 capital cities in 2014 for its average download broadband speed. This compared with other UK towns and cities such as Worthing with 93.31%, Luton with 92.93%, Cambridge with 91.77% and Brighton with 91.06%.

Compared with Europe, London managed average speeds of 26.29Mbps, compared with Bucharest at 81.18Mbps, Paris at 78.15Mbps and Vilnius at 60.14Mbps.

Too many "not-spots" existed in London where there was very low or no broadband connectivity, according to the report, which pointed to Westminster, the City of London and Southwark as having particularly poor connectivity. It said this was down to problems such as the length of copper lines, the street layout or the height of buildings.

"London's economic productivity and international competitiveness face a significant threat in the form of poor digital connectivity," the report said. "The capital is poorly served, suffering from not-spots', digital deserts' and a lack of fibre connections." It said London is far behind smaller UK cities because telecommunications companies are "struggling to deliver for the capital's business and residents".

The report called on London's soon-to-be appointedchief digital officer (CDO)to confront the problem.

"Commercial viability is also more challenging for parts of London where residential density is very low," the London Assembly's report said. "Upgrading the infrastructure also means cabling, digging up roads and pavements, which are all costly and cause disruption."

It also wants the capital's CDO to work with London boroughs to tackle administrative and planning barriersto better connectivity and digital skills within London firms.

"The lack of digital skills holds back economic development. Most small businesses that use digital functions (ranging from email to cloud computing) are twice as likely to report an increase in turnover than the 30% of small businesses in London that do not have basic digital skills," said the report.

Regeneration committee chairman Navin Shah said: "London's digital connectivity is frankly embarrassing in some areas and will no doubt lead to major issues in terms of the city's global attractiveness as a place to live, work and do business. We need to act before it is too late and London's success is threatened.

"More can be done to solve London's connectivity problems and with the imminent appointment of the CDO, the mayor can provide real strategic leadership in this essential area."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will invite mobile operators to submit their proposals for bringing mobile signal to the tube after next week's general election, it is reported.

Three people told the Financial Times about the plans, suggesting BAI Communications, Wireless Infrastructure Group, Arqiva, BT, Huawei and Airvana, part of CommScope, could all bid to win the job.

BT-owned EE already has strong connections with London Underground, with its equipment and service implemented to help emergency services communicate underground. However, it's likely to be a much bigger job than just running a low-level use network, with thousands of tube users wanting to make calls and send texts underground.

"We are keen to offer full mobile phone coverage for our customers," a TfL spokesperson said. "The introduction of this would need to be commercially viable and would follow engagement with staff and customers."

The FT's sources declined to reveal how TfL would expect the network to operate, although the obvious choices seem to be striking up a revenue deal with a telecoms company or subsidise the network to make it more attractive to customers. However, if it's to stump up the cash, TfL would have to gain approval from the public.

"While a number of stations along the TfL network already offer users Wi-Fi services, full mobile phone coverage will enable users to fully make the most of their time on the tube whether that's checking Facebook or replying to emails," William Newton, EMEA director at WiredScore said.

"And with such vast lengths of time on the underground begrudgingly spent by commuters across the city every day, there's no question that this will be a very welcome improvement to TfL's service."

Other cities around the world already have a mobile phone network operating underground including New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris and Seoul.

EE customers are struggling to get online after data issues hit the network.

The telecoms giant hasn't yet identified the source of the problem, but it appears to be spread across the UK. It is only affecting 4G and 3G data services, not voice.

According to Down Detector, parts of the network have been down since 8am this morning, with outages reported in Belfast, Glasgow, London and elsewhere across the country.

Frustrated users have reported seeing a message reading: "Could not connect to mobile network data. PDP authentication failure".

EE's Twitter account said: "We're aware of a data issue affecting 4G internet connectivity on some services for a few customers this morning. Voice is unaffected. We're working to fix the issue ASAP."

A spokesperson told IT Pro that full service was restored 40 minutes ago, but users are still reporting faults online. If you are still having trouble getting online, it's worth restarting your phone.

"We had a data issue affecting some internet services for some of our customers on 4G," the spokesperson said. "Phone calls and text messages were unaffected, and some internet services continued to work as usual. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

UK telcos have been urged to improve their services, as new figures reveal that 4G coverage varies wildly across the UK.

The average overall availability for 4G services is just 65% in the UK, with mobile users left unable to connect for a third of the time, according to a new report from Which? and OpenSignal.

The study looked at connectivity within the country's 20 largest cities, with Middlesbrough topping the charts at 83% availability and London placing 16th at less than 75% availability.

"These latest findings underline the need for Ofcom to keep the pressure on mobile operators, so that every part of the country gets a decent service on their mobile phone," said Which? managing director of home products and services, Alex Neill.

"Our mobile phone is central to how we live our lives and that is why it is so frustrating when we can't access emails or browse the internet on the go."

The figures, combined with astronomical property prices compared with other areas, could add further weight to arguments that emerging tech hubs in the north of England such as Manchester and Leeds are better places for tech startups to base their operations.

"The mobile data experience isn't the same in every city for UK consumers," confirmed OpenSignal's CEO and co-founder, Brendan Gill. "OpenSignal users found LTE signals more often in Middlesbrough than in Manchester and faster 4G connections in Stoke than in London."

The report added: "Overall, 4G signals are far more consistently available in the cities than in the countryside, as you would expect."

Millions of UK homes are still unable to access "decent" enough broadband speeds necessary to meet digital needs, according to a recent study by Ofcom.

In the "Connected Nations 2016" report published today, revealed that 1.4 million UK homes and businesses, or 5% of all properties, are unable to sign up for broadband over 10 Mbit per second, speeds required to meet digital household needs in 2016.

The report also found that total 4G-network coverage supplied by four operators reached just 40% of the UK landmass, although this was substantially higher than the 8% found last year.

With targets for 1 Mbit/s upload speeds included, the number of UK properties receiving an inadequate service rises to 2.6 million, while only 2% of UK premises can access ultrafast full fibre services.

"Mobile and broadband coverage continued to grow this year, but too many people and businesses are still struggling for a good service," said Ofcom CTO Steve Unger.

"We think that is unacceptable. So we're challenging mobile operators to go beyond built-up areas, and provide coverage across the UK's countryside and transport networks. Today we've also provided technical advice to support the Government's plans for universal, decent broadband," added Unger.

Findings from the report revealed that almost 40% of all rural properties are unable to access superfast broadband, while a quarter, around 920,000 homes, cannot receive speeds over 10Mbit/s.

In response, Ofcom has released an advisory report to help the government implement plans for universal broadband, set out in 2015. Under this obligation, 100% of UK homes will have access to at least 10Mbit/s broadband by 2020.

The report highlighted that overall coverage and quality of UK broadband had increased since 2015, with a 28% rise in average speeds and over a third of new homes accessing superfast broadband over 30Mbit/s.

The availability of superfast broadband has increased, according to the report, but a "significant number" of UK premises, including homes and small businesses, remain at risk of "digital exclusion".

A survey released in November by ViaSat found that 72% of consumers were unhappy with UK broadband and felt the government isn't doing enough to meet future broadband needs.

Dan Howdle, consumer telecoms expert at comparison site Cable.co.uk, argues that while "honourable", there are no clear plans for delivering universal broadband in time for 2020.

"It's all very well pointing and saying 'this many homes have rubbish broadband and diabolical mobile reception', but the real question remains: how exactly, in each individual case, are we going to achieve that?" said Howdle.

"If you're living in a hillside cottage in the Highlands and the promise is you'll have 10Mbit/s by 2020, should a letter not have already dropped through your door carrying an explanation of exactly when and how this is going to happen?," added Howdle.

A report published on Wednesday by the National Infrastructure Commission found that 4G mobile broadband coverage in the UK was worse than 53 other countries around the world, including Albania and Peru.

Ofcom has stated it would closely monitor the progress of government plans to deliver universal broadband.

The UK has worse mobile coverage than 53 countries around the world, according to a report published today by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).

The UK's 4G network is said to be worse than that in countries such as Romania, Albania, Panama and Peru.

The NIC found the UK to be 54th in the world for 4G, with an average user only being able to access 4G connectivity 53% of the time. Spots where 4G does not reach appear to be common even within city centres.

NIC chairman Lord Adonis said: "Our roads and railways can feel like digital deserts and even our city centres are plagued by not spots where connectivity is impossible. That isn't just frustrating, it is increasingly holding British business back as more and more of our economy requires a connected workforce."

With 93% of adults in the UK owning a mobile phone, mobile connectivity has become increasingly important. NIC urged the government and broadband regulator Ofcom to ensure that basic services, such as talk, text and data, are available everywhere, to prepare the UK for 5G as quickly as possible.

Will Stewart, VP of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), called for "urgent implementation" of the report's recommendations.

He added: "[The government must make] a quick decision on which government department will take ultimate responsibility for ensuring the UK has the broadband infrastructure required to put the UK in a stronger position to be global leader in the digital economy and associated innovation opportunities."

The report suggested the development of metrics that show the actual coverage accessible to mobile users, which should then be used to ensure essential services are accessible to mobile users by no later than 2025.

Lord Adonis said: "The existing system does not provide the level of coverage we will need in our connected future. We need a new universal service obligation which ensures that the mobile essentials - like text, talk and data - are available to us wherever we need them."

Ofcom agreed that the mobile coverage in the UK needs improvement. An Ofcom spokesperson said: "We're pleased the NIC shares our ambition for universal coverage. Our rules mean that virtually all UK premises must receive a 4G signal by the end of next year, and we're also making more airwaves available to boost mobile broadband. Last month, we challenged mobile operators to explore how to reach all remote areas and transport lines."

In order to be 5G ready, the Commission says motorways and key rail routes should improve in connectivity. Similarly, local authorities and network providers will need to collaborate to ensure that towns and cities have adequate 4G coverage.

"5G is the future - ultra-fast, and ultra-reliable it has the potential to change our lives and our economy in ways we cannot even imagine today. But the UK is currently languishing in the digital slow lane," added Lord Adonis. "From connected vehicles to the internet of things, 5G will support a whole new way of communicating and doing business. The UK must not be left behind."

EE has called for all networks to be transparent about their 4G coverage as it revealed it has wiped out 5,000sqkm of 4G black spots overnight.

The company also reported it had improved signal in 500,000 homes around the country as it strives to keep its title as most reliable 4G network provider.

EE said it will report all coverage in geographic terms by the end of 2017, making it easier for consumers to make a decision about which provider to sign up with. The company wants all networks to use the same measurements to enable consumers to make better comparisons before deciding who to go with.

"Today, people think they will get mobile coverage absolutely everywhere, because as an industry we've talked about coverage with confusing population metrics, and language that sets the wrong expectations," said EE CEO Marc Allera.

"Too often, the customer experience has been very different from the marketing. That has to stop. We're asking our peers and the mobile industry to get Clear on Coverage.' All operators should publish clearer geographic coverage information, and we're seeking support from Ofcom as the independent source of information on mobile coverage and quality."

EE wants Ofcom to back its campaign for a clearer system of measuring network coverage - a cause also backed by the Countryside Alliance.

"We welcome EE's call for the mobile industry to deliver clearer information to customers about where they can expect to get a signal," Sarah Lee, head of policy at the Countryside Alliance, said.

"It is vital that mobile consumers are able to make an informed decision about which network has the potential to serve them best. We believe that the move towards reporting all coverage in geographic terms by January 2017 is a step in the right direction and has the potential to offer significant benefits to rural consumers."

EE wants 95% of the UK to be covered by 4G coverage by the end of 2020, a target it thinks is possible after it added 4G coverage to an additional 25% of the UK this year.

"We want to make it easier and clearer for consumers to know where they will and won't get coverage, and which network is the right one for them," Allera concluded.

Superfast broadband and 4G will be universally available in the UK by 2020, according to digital minister Matt Hancock.

Speaking yesterday at Broadband World Forum, Hancock said that deeper connectivity throughout the country, including rural areas, is essential to "keep up" with demand for high speed internet.

"By 2020, the volume of global internet traffic is expected to be 95 times its volume in 2005," said Hancock. "In the UK, fixed internet traffic is set to double every two years."

To ensure Britain is able to provide the capacity for this data demand, broadband needs to be considered as the "fourth utility", according to Hancock.

The UK superfast broadband network is currently available to 91% of homes, due to rise to 95% by next year, with average speeds of 24Mbps.

But Hancock believes this extensive rollout of "part-fibre" broadband has meant that only 2% of premises enjoy full-fibre speeds.

Alongside a promise to roll out 100% 4G coverage by 2020, Hancock outlined plans for an extensive 5G network are also in place over the next decade.

"The future is fibre. Around the world the evidence increasingly points to fibre roll out as the underpinning of a digital nation," said Hancock. "Our ambition is to be a world leader in 5G - by defining industry standards and attracting and retaining investment in research."

But before work begins on an even faster 5G network, Hancock stressed the importance of "strengthening" the current 4G rollout. The current maximum 64% coverage has been described as "poor" by a research body.

The government has put pressure on UK network providers by imposing a legally binding obligation to deliver universal coverage. Although the "market will have to lead", the government has promised increased support.

"Reforms to planning laws and the Electronic Communications Code will make it cheaper to deploy infrastructure, including more masts by permitted development, taller masts, and small cells," said Hancock.

A competitive market is needed for plans to go ahead, he added. Companies such as BT will be "forced to open up access to, and maps of, its ducts and poles".

The government hopes this will provide greater fairness in the market, placing stronger emphasis on the role of the Advertising Standards Authority to deliver clarity.

Hancock also acknowledged the severe lack of connectivity on rail routes and has outlined plans to deliver 100% coverage of free Wifi on all passenger journeys by 2020, including boosts to mobile connectivity by filling in rail 'not-spots'.

Three, TalkTalk and the Federation of Communication Services (FCS) have called on Ofcom to cap the amount of spectrum owned by mobile operators like BT and Vodafone.

BT, which bought EE last year, and Vodafone own the most UK wireless radiofrequencies, over which mobile signals are transferred, and other mobile companies fear the market will see less choice and an increase in prices if the firms are allowed to increase their shares.

In an open letter to Ofcom CEO Sharon White, seen by IT Pro, several mobile operators teamed up in asking for a 30% cap on the total amount of spectrum companies can own, in order to level the playing field.

Calling spectrum "the lifeblood of the industry", the CEOs of TalkTalk, Three, City Fibre, Relish, and the Federation of Communication Services wrote:"The UK suffers from the largest imbalance in spectrum distribution across mobile operators of any developed country. BT already owns nearly half of the UK's vital airwaves and Vodafone nearly a third."

According to Citi (via the Financial Times), BT owns about 42% of mobile spectrum, and Vodafone 28%, followed by O2 with 14% and 15% owned by Three.

The organisations who penned the letter believe such an imbalance in spectrum distribution will result in "higher prices for a poorer service at a time when mobile's importance to the digital economy has never been greater".

Three, TalkTalk and their co-signatories believe a cap would allow smaller mobile companies to own more wireless radio frequencies, resulting in a greater choice of mobile operators with fast and reliable network coverage for consumers.

Their open letter also claims that BT and Vodafone "sit on large amounts of unused mobile spectrum" and that "this denies consumers of other networks access to increased speeds and better costumer experience".

The co-signatories hope Ofcom will consider a cap before the next auction, which is likely to take place at some point in 2017, concerning the 2.3 - 3.4 GHz spectrum.

A BT/EE spokesperson told IT Pro: "We use our spectrum to deliver the very best network experience for customers. We pioneered 4G and we are a leader in network speeds, developing technologies to provide some of the highest mobile download speeds in the world."

EE also said it is committed to provide 4G coverage to over 95% of the UK's landmass by 2020.

Three CEO David Dyson had already disclosed his concern earlier this year, when he told the FT that BT's financial strength could lead them to acquire an even greater amount of spectrum at the next auctions. This would make life harder for Three, limiting its position in the market.

Ofcom has not yet replied to the open letter, but an Ofcom spokesperson told IT Pro: "We plan to publish a consultation in the autumn, which will set out our plans for the 2.3 - 3.4 GHz spectrum award".

Vodafone did not respond to IT Pro's request for comment.

The UK has the fastest mobile internet in the world, according to a new report.

Mobile users in the UK experienced average speeds of 27.9 Mbps in the first quarter of 2016, content delivery platform Akamai's State of the Internet report found, the highest of all countries surveyed.

It was far higher than the rest of Europe by about 10 Mbps - while the US recorded average speeds of only 5.1 Mbps when connecting to Akamai's platform.

However, Akamai's methodology may not give an accurate representation of the UK's real mobile speeds, The Verge suggested, because the speeds are recorded between mobile networks' proxies and Akamai's own servers, rather than between its servers and people's mobile devices.

Still, the news comes after recent findings that the UK's 4G coverage lags behind its neighbours.

While EE's 61 per cent coverage is the best in the UK, other countries are hitting 70 per cent and higher, recent research from OpenSignal and Which? found.

The report read: "While some countries are struggling to catch up with the rest of the world in 4G speed, the UK has an entirely different problem. UK LTE networks keep getting faster, but LTE coverage just isn't advancing at the same pace.

"While regulators and operators are already looking ahead to the 5G data networks of the future, mobile consumers today are still spending nearly half their time connected to 3G networks."

EE plans to bring 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK within the next four years.

The mobile operator's strategy focuses on eradicating so-called notspots - places where there is no 4G coverage - and pays particular attention to rural areas.

This includes 4G coverage that has been turned on in Shetland and the Isles of Scilly, which the company claimed demonstrates its "commitment to connect the furthest edges of the UK". Shetland is the most northerly region of the UK, while the Scilly Isles are the most southerly.

It comes after the UK's 4G coverage was found to lag behind the US and Europe, with EE providing the most coverage at 60 per cent, 10 per cent behind coverage in other countries.

The company is also rolling out Voice over LTE (VoLTE, also known as 4G Calling) across the UK, which it said will both allow users to continue accessing high-speed internet while they are on the phone, rather than being shifted onto 3G as currently happens.

It will also ensure people who are in 4G-only areas can make calls on their mobile phones.

"For the average smartphone user, not-spots aren't tolerated and 2G doesn't deliver what they need," said EE CEO Marc Allera.

Allera said mobile operators were "too used to saying 'no' to new coverage", but that with this announcement his company is "saying 'yes' with an ambition to go further than any operator has ever gone ... with the ultimate aim of covering the whole of the UK with 4G".

As well as announcing its 4G plans, EE also revealed it will bring all its customer service calls back to the UK and Ireland, after Ofcom fined it 1 million last year for customer service failures.

This will create 600 new roles, the company said, including 100 jobs spread across Plymouth, Merthyr Tydfil and North Tyneside, which will be created by the end of June this year. The remaining 500 will be announced in the second half of 2016.

"We've already seen a major boost in customer satisfaction by creating 1,400 new service jobs here since 2014," said Allera. "Now we're creating 600 additional jobs to handle all EE customer service calls in the UK and Ireland by the end of this year, providing the best possible experience for our customers."

The UK's 4G networks are "poor" and lag behind the US, Europe and East Asia, according to new research.

While EE offers the best 4G network in the UK, with 61 per cent coverage, other countries are already achieving coverage of 70 per cent and higher, wireless mapping firm OpenSignal warned.

Its State of Mobile Networks: UK report, created with help from consumer comparison site Which?, rated the four nationwide UK mobile operators on their 4G performance and coverage.

Network upgrades made by Three saw its LTE performance tie with EE's, with both operators drawing for 4G download speeds and lowest 4G latency.

But Three's 4G coverage spanned just 40 per cent of the UK, leaving customers languishing on 3G networks much of the time.

O2 recorded a 56 per cent coverage for 4G, pipped by Vodafone, whose coverage reached 57 per cent.

O2 also scored poorly for 4G latency at 79 milliseconds, compared to EE and Three's 53 milliseconds and Vodafone's 64 milliseconds.

The report read: "While some countries are struggling to catch up with the rest of the world in 4G speed, the U.K. has an entirely different problem. UK LTE networks keep getting faster, but LTE coverage just isn't advancing at the same pace.

"While regulators and operators are already looking ahead to the 5G data networks of the future, mobile consumers today are still spending nearly half their time connected to 3G networks."

The report is based on research conducted via OpenSignal's app downloaded onto 31,525 people's mobile phones, which took place between November 2015 and January 2016.

It comes after Ofcom's own research identified EE as the UK's most reliable mobile network in December last year.

OpenSignal and Which?'s report also follows the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)'s objections to Three's proposed 10.25 billion takeover of O2.

The EU's antitrust chief, Margarethe Vestager, is expected to block the current planned takeover after listening to the CMA, which claimed a merger would harm competition in the UK by reducing the number of operators from four to three.

Kester Mann, principal analyst at CCS Insight, covering operators, told IT Pro: "Hutchison is seeking to throw the kitchen sink to gain approval but it might have to do more as possibly facilitating a fourth operator, but that would certainly be its least desired outcome.

"It all comes down to how far it wants to go. If it really wants to do the deal, then it should be able to satisfy the Commission's concerns, but that may also erase many of the benefits of the deal. That's why it's really on a knife-edge."

Three has said it will be the first major European mobile operator to block adverts on its network.

The firm will use technology from Israeli company Shine to block ads for users in the UK and Italy, saying it will then roll out the blockers to other countries "rapidly".

Three stressed that the goal of using the technology was not to "eliminate mobile advertising", but to "give customers more control, choice and greater transparency over what they receive".

As the move is on Three's network, ads would only be blocked when users are on 3G and 4G networks. Ads would continue to be served when users are on a Wi-Fi network.

The company said it has three goals in deploying the ad blocking technology. First, that customers should not pay data charges to receive adverts and these "should be costs borne by the advertiser".

Second, it added that customers' privacy and security must be fully protected. "Some advertisers use mobile ads to extract and exploit data about customers without their knowledge or consent," it said.

Third, it added that customers "should be entitled to receive advertising that is relevant and interesting to them, and not to have their data experience in mobile degraded by excessive, intrusive, unwanted or irrelevant adverts."

The mobile operator said that it will reveal full details of how it plans to meet these objectives in the coming months.

Tom Malleschitz, chief marketing officer at Three UK, said that irrelevant and excessive mobile ads "annoy" customers and affect their overall network experience.

"We don't believe customers should have to pay for data usage driven by mobile ads. The industry has to work together to give customers mobile ads they want and benefit from," he added.

Mobile operator EE has managed to double its 4G subscriber base in the last year. It also reported that its LTE network covered 95 per cent of the population.

In its last financial update as an independent entity, the operator reported profits of 1.781bn on flat sales of around 6bn. EE was acquired by BT for 12.5bn last year, in a deal that was officially completed last week.

The firm became the first in Europe to boast more than 14m subscribers to its 4G network. The total 4G base doubled in 2015, it claimed. The total number of 4G corporate accounts grew to over 9,100, a rise of 30 per cent year-on-year. It said its postpay churn remained low at 1.1 per cent, and added 141,000 contract customers in the fourth quarter.

The operator said that the award by the UK government of the Emergency Services Network (ESN) contract will see the firm expand its network capability, and through 4G LTE provision, improve the communications capability of the UK's emergency services. The ESN will require new investment and increased operating costs from 2016, with revenues not anticipated to start until the second half of 2017.

EE warned that regulatory pressures are expected to increase through this year, with higher spectrum licence fees as well as reduced roaming rates and mobile termination rates all expected to impact financials from 2016 and beyond.

"2015 was an exceptional year for EE, as we met and exceeded 4G targets, won multiple awards for our network performance, and improved our customer satisfaction scores," said Marc Allera, EE's CEO.

"As part of BT, we're entering the next chapter of EE's journey, and look forward to a phenomenal opportunity to innovate for the benefit of our customers, while continuing to build and enhance the UK's digital infrastructure."

Online grocer Ocado has installed what it claims is the world's most advanced wireless control system in partnership with Cambridge Consultants.

With the technology, Ocado can control 1,000 robots, communicating with them 10 times a second to co-ordinate the movement of hundreds of thousands of crates.

The grocer compared the feat with controlling the movements of aircraft flying in and out of Heathrow Airport everyday, but if they circled around within a few kilometres of each other.

After finding existing mobile technologies did not provide the control or scalabiity Ocado required, Cambridge Consultants found a 4G telecoms system deployed in an unlicensed 5GHz Wi-Fi that would prove suitable.

Ocado Technology's director of technology, Paul Clarke, told IT Pro: "Existing communications technologies such as WiFi could neither handle the density of devices (WiFi might typically handle 100-200 clients per access point) nor provide the guaranteed low latency and variable bandwidth that our application requires."

Tim Ensor, head of connected devices at Cambridge Consultants, added: "We created a system based on the principles of 4G but which can support 1,000 devices from a single base station over 10 times more than is usually possible. At the same time, we needed to ensure it met the requirements of operating in licence-free spectrum. It is the first time this has all been done with 4G technology."

Ocado, as the intellectual property owner, has filed a number of patents around the new technology, and said it could be deployed anywhere in the world, thanks to its reliance on unlicensed spectrum.

Mark Richardson, operations director at Ocado, said: "We set out to create a groundbreaking platform for online retailers the Ocado Smart Platform to push the boundaries of efficiency, modularity and scalability. Working closely with the Cambridge Consultants team has enable us to make our ambitious vision a reality."

The firms believe the Ocado Smart Platform could scale up to handle up to 20 times the movements it does in Ocado's own warehouse, and said it would be suitable to control robots in factories, construction sites and airfields.

EE has won a 1 billion contract to supply the UK's emergency services with a 4G network for communications.

The new LTE-based emergency services network (ESN) should save the UK 1 million a day in running costs, claimed the government. This network will replace the existing Tetra network from mid-2017 and enable police, fire brigades and ambulance services to access 4G data services.

Minister of state for policing, criminal justice and victims Mike Penning said the rollout would benefit emergency services in the UK.

"Today marks a major achievement in our effort to provide the emergency services with a new modernised communications network that is able to protect the public and save lives," he said.

More than 500 new 4G base stations will be built to support the emergency network. These will run independently from EE's main network service business and consumers, in order to ensure emergency services have full capacity should they need it. Around 300,000 personnel will make use of the network when fully operational.

EE will also switch on its 800MHz spectrum at 3,800 sites as well to improve coverage. The mobile company will also make use of Voice over LTE technology so that personnel can make calls over 4G and enable push-to-talk as well.

EE's Emergency Services team will work closely with the current provider, Airwave, Motorola, and KBR, as well as all end users to manage a smooth transition to the new 4G network.

EE CEO Olaf Swantee said his company was "proud to be selected to deliver this vital new network for Britain's Emergency Services".

"We've worked closely with the Police and Ambulance crews to show the power of 4G in helping save time and save lives. We will now work tirelessly to deliver a highly resilient, truly nationwide 4G network to serve all of Britain's Blue Light and First Responder teams across the UK," he said.

EE is on the brink of hitting its target of 14 million 4G customers by the end of the year, counting 12.6 million subscribers in its latest quarter announced today.

The mobile operator added 1.7 million new 4G smartphone users to its network in the three months ending September, and 4G users now account for more than half its entire mobile customer base.

It remains on track to reach its target of 14 million users come December, having added 1.7 million, 1.5 million and 1.7 million respectively in its three most recent quarters.

Neal Milsom, CFO of EE, said: "We've seen strong commercial momentum as business and consumers embrace the benefits of our network, with more than two-thirds of postpaid mobile customers now using 4G, providing a solid platform for the future."

The company also gave an update on its 4G rollout schedule, claiming its network is now available to 93 per cent of the UK while double-speed 4G is available to 75 per cent of the population.

Its business base grew too, and is up seven per cent year-on-year, with new public sector wins in Lancashire Constabulary and Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

The Royal Mail Group is also the first customer of EE Connect, a 4G Internet of Things platform that lets companies manage their connected device deployments.

EE's latest results come ahead of its acquisition by telco giant BT, in a merger worth 12.5 billion.

Market regulator Ofcom expressed concern earlier this month over mergers in the sector, citing BT-EE and Three's mooted takeover of O2, saying it could harm competition.

CEO Sharon White said: "If the current merger wave continues, there are risks to consumers and businesses who have enjoyed one of the most competitive markets of recent years."

While the regulator has no power to approve to dismiss such mergers (it is the Competition and Markets Authority considering it), it has just completed a ten-year review of the telecommunication market, and could call for BT and its broadband arm, Openreach, to be broken up.

However, Cable.co.uk editor-in-chief Dan Howdle told IT Pro that mergers elsewhere were necessary for other mobile operators to compete with EE's leadership on 4G.

He said: "One thing is absolutely clear, EE is dominating the 4G market through a combination of those signed up directly to EE services and those receiving said services through MVNO partners such as Virgin Mobile.

"This should surprise no one since EE has by far the most comprehensive 4G coverage, and coverage really is the key to winning this war. O2 and Three know this well, which is why they intend to merge as soon practicality will allow. Until they do, expect EE to continue to dominate."

FreedomPop has launched its free mobile service in the UK.

The company's "Basic 200" SIM-only plan provides 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G mobile data per month, completely free of charge.

After a one-off 7 fee for activation and delivery, users can use the FreedomPop app to make calls, send texts and share pictures absolutely free (within the confines of the allowance).

This freemium' model relies on methods of revenue generation outside of traditional subscriptions, such as users purchasing increased allowances, buying additional services such as a second phone number for their phone, or incurring charges by exceeding their allowance.

The service, which has already seen success in tech-savvy regions of the US, will be operating as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator and piggybacking on Three's masts, following a deal signed in May this year.

Another notable aspect of the service is that it's entirely internet-based. All of the voice and text data is transmitted using 3G and 4G networks, and then routed through the FreedomPop app.

The app is only available for Android and iOS, so prospective customers using Windows Phone and BlackBerry platforms will be unable to use the service.

The company has been operational in the US for more than four and a half years, and says that it only needs 30 per cent of its roughly one million users to purchase paid-for add-ons in order to turn a profit.

The service is principally aiming at PAYG mobile plans, as well as low-cost bottom-tier contracts. It claims that even its more extensive tariffs are "priced well below the market". Its device-agnostic services are also available on tablets.

"The UK has had many mobile providers and services enter the market, but none of them offer a completely new business model enabling free service, guaranteed for life," said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop CEO and co-founder. "We believe everyone should have access to mobile services, and we're going to make that a reality in the UK."

The UK will be the first country outside of America to receive the service, but the company says it has plans to expand to seven other countries within the next year, and over 20 by 2017.

FreedomPop's totally free tier is an eye-catching deal, but according to Devicescape CEO Dave Fraser, "price is not FreedomPop's only point of differentiation".

"FreedomPop is part of the 'Wi-Fi First' movement, a group of MVNOs which position Wi-Fi at the heart of their connectivity offerings. This gives them cost advantages which enable continued investment in innovation, and also aligns them closely with existing smartphone user behaviour."

Three and Vodafone have purchased some of Qualcomm's L-Band spectrum to boost coverage of their respective 4G networks around the UK.

Qualcomm said the L-Band spectrum has been approved for 4G use by the EU and can be used "for Supplemental Downlink, helping mobile network operators meet the global demand for increased mobile data traffic."

Reports suggest that the two companies paid 200 million for the extra 4G bandwidth, although neither company has confirmed how much they spent on the infrastructure improvements.

Ofcom will now need to conduct a review into the proposed purchase before Vodafone takes over Qualcomm's share of the 20MHz spectrum and Three takes the remaining 20MHz. It is unlikely that either company will be able to use the spectrum until late in 2016, because their equipment and devices will need to be upgraded in order to work.

A Three spokesperson confirmed the company had bid for spectrum held by Qualcomm, but wouldn't reveal any further details until Ofcom's review has been completed and the sale granted.

Vodafone commented: "L-Band will complement Vodafone's existing low frequency 800MHz spectrum which travels further and penetrates better through walls than other higher frequency 4G signals.

"Over time, Vodafone intends to combine the spectrum with 800MHz using a new technology called 4G+, also referred to as Carrier Aggregation, to deliver theoretical peak download speeds up to three times faster than standard 4G."

Qualcom decided to sell its L-Band spectrum back in June, but it's not known if other telecoms companies bid for the spectrum.

Ofcom's plans to make it easier to switch between mobile operators would benefit new and loyal existing customers, it is claimed.

The regulator wants to tackle problems users face in changing their mobile network provider by simplifying the process, and today released a consultation document on the issue.

Currently users changing their network who wish to keep their current number must obtain something called a PAC code from their previous provider and pass it over to their new provider to switch their number across.

Under Ofcom's proposed update, however, the customer's new provider would be responsible for shifting their number across themselves.

Dan Howdle, editor-in-chief of mobile comparison service Cable.co.uk, said such a change would shake up the entire mobile operator industry, changing the way companies reward customers.

"Since switching currently involves contact with the provider they're leaving, customers often face a barrage of questions from providers trying to find an in' with which to change their mind," he said.

"Frictionless switching will even the odds among UK mobile providers, creating a better, fairer marketplace and allowing customers to take advantage of the best deals.

"That, in turn, will shift the focus of special offers and limited deals from being primarily aimed at new customers to being equally shared among those who remain loyal."

Ofcom's consultation document said that fewer people are switching providers, with fewer even bothering comparing providers, either.

Just six per cent of customers switched their mobile operator in 2014, down from nine per cent in 2013, according to the watchdog's statistics, and half have reported problems during the process.

The report added: "We believe that the current switching arrangements are likely to generate unnecessary harm for customers. This is true whether or not they choose to port their number."

Those issues include the length of time switching can take, confusion over multiple ways to switch providers, overlapping contracts, and slamming' when a customer is switched to a new provider without their consent.

While another proposed option could see users simply text their old provider for their PAC code, Richard Neudegg, regulation expert at uSwitch.com, said making a new operator responsible for switching is the best way to overhaul an "archaic process", a step that could also revolutionise other industries.

"It is frustrating that it remains unnecessarily difficult and time consuming to swap mobile providers when 93% of us now own mobile phones," he said.

"Mobile has been left with an archaic switching process. With some providers, you even have to ask them to unlock your handset first. However, mobile is just one part of the bigger picture. Ofcom made changes to switching broadband in June, which improved the experience for some customers.

"However, these didn't apply to mobile, pay TV or Virgin Media's broadband network, so there is still plenty of room to shake things up there too."

What happens next

The watchdog will follow up its consultation document with a consumer survey, the results of which it will publish in spring 2016 if the survey suggests there are problems with the current process, another consultation will take place on how to address the issues.

For now, Ofcom wants feedback on its current document outlining its proposals, and people can find out how to submit their opinions here.

Best providers

The news comes on the same day as a RootMetrics survey found EE to be the top UK mobile operator for the first half of 2015, offering the best combination of speed and reliability.

The provider, which now has 10.9 million 4G customers, ranked top in the network performance analysis organisation's research, being the only operator to hit the 20Mbps threshold for median download speeds.

EE came top in 21 out of 24 awards, and tied the remaining ones with rival Three, tying on network reliability in Scotland and Wales.

Vodafone improved its overall ranking to come second, ahead of Three, in the network speed category, while O2 finished last overall in the UK, though RootMetrics predicted it will improve as its 4G network expands.

"EE is continuing to come out on top for mobile performance, but there is a heated and often close battle with the other operators," said Chris Smith, RootMetrics's general manager for Europe.

"We want consumers and network operators to look at this report and use it to inform purchasing decisions and understand the areas where improvements can be made."

EE will smash its target of reaching 14 million 4G customers by the end of the year, according to an analyst, after counting 10.9 million users in its latest quarter.

The mobile operator added 1.5 million people to its mobile user base in the second quarter of 2015, after adding 1.7 million in the first three months of the year, leaving it with 6.7 million more users than it had in the same period last year.

Kester Mann, principal analyst of operators at CCS Insight, said the growth underlined EE's dominance of Europe's 4G market.

"EE remains the largest in-market European 4G operator and is clearly on track to pass its 14 million target at year-end," he said.

The mobile firm claimed its 4G network now reaches 90 per cent of the UK population, covering 600 towns and cities, while double speed 4G is available for 70 per cent of the UK.

Elsewhere, EE notched seven per cent year-on-year growth among business customers, with Abercrombie & Fitch, Lufthansa and thetrainline.com the latest among 8,300 companies who rely on the operator.

The 4G growth helped EE record 3 billion revenue in the first half of 2015 (and 1.5 billion in the latest quarter), rising just 0.1 per cent on last year, with a 141 million profit.

CEO Olaf Swantee said: "Our established leadership in 4G and key differentiators such as Wi-Fi calling are working well for the business. We're the clear network market leader and this, combined with our strong operational performance, has led to a return to revenue growth."

The company's broadband user base added 35,000 customers, while fixed-line revenue grew 18 per cent on the same period last year.

CCS Insight's Mann said: "EE appears to be on track to surpass one million fixed broadband customers by end-2015.

"There is also evidence of progress in EE's connected strategy, which aims to bring a greater number of devices to the network.

"EE saw good growth in tablets and mobile Wi-Fi. Finally it has seen good momentum' in own-brand devices, with a number of new tablets and smartphones recently launched with the aim to bring 4G to a wider demographic."

Swantee said his focus would be on improving customer satisfaction, with Ofcom handing a 1 million fine to the firm in July for failing users.

The company is set to be swallowed by telco BT in a 12.5 billion acquisition currently being reviewed by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has recommended departments adopt 4G data networks to improve mobile working under a new set of network principles.

With smartphones and tablets proving increasingly popular to use to work on documents and catch up on emails, the GDS wants Whitehall to embrace new technology to give staff more flexibility in how they work.

To this end, it has published a set of network principles to help departments share and access information more easily, including the suggestion they adopt 4G.

"Historically mobile connectivity has provided a limited set of functionality," the document said. "This is now changing and there may be use cases where a 4G service could meet user needs both as a primary service or as a backup."

The document did not mention whether such a service would rely on end users' personal smartphone connectivity or would require departments to procure their own 4G networks.

The GDS added: "Public sector employees expect to be able to work in any location: at home, in the office, on the move or in other government buildings - just like their private sector counterparts.

"If we continue to design and build new services based on these principles, then we'll help to remove complexity, and reduce cost for service design and operations."

Networks should also be designed for a roaming user base, the GDS said, warning that "designing on net' solutions which only work in your own premises will limits staff mobility and be at odds with your own corporate policies".

The news comes after the Cabinet Office ditched its own Wi-Fi for a service provided by Aerohive.

The network won't support government-provided tablets or smartphones, however, with 1,700 staff able to choose one of five sanctioned laptops.

The GDS will adopt the network principles into the Technology Code of Practice and the Digital by Default Service Standard.

For many businesses, communication is the lifeblood of the organisation. Without a means to connect with colleagues, things can quickly grind to a halt.

Mobile communication is key, especially when needed to contact salespeople on the road. Two of the main mobile network operators, EE and O2, have services geared up for business. We breakdown what's on offer.

4G coverage

One of the key focuses of EE is its 4G service. It had a head start on rivals when Ofcom allowed it to use 2G spectrum for 4G services. EE covers 81 per cent of the UK with its LTE service, compared with 66 per cent for O2. (Source: Ofcom)

Data Speeds

EE, like its rivals has undergone a series of tests to determine the average speed of its 4G service. According to this Ofcom report, EE managed average speeds of 18.6Mbps while O2 managed 13.9Mbps. For 3G the tables are turned with EE managing 4Mbps for 3G downloads compared with 6.6Mbps for O2.

Data Allowances

Both EE and O2 offer data allowances of up to 20GB. Neither offer unlimited data plans. The lowest allowance between the two comes from O2 with a plan that offers a paltry 100MB, EE offers 250MB at its minimum.

Reach

EE covers around 200 towns and cities in the UK with its 4G network since its launch in the UK in October 2012. O2 launched its 4G network in the summer of 2013 and now covers 191 towns. Despite this near parity in the number of urban areas covered, O2 clearly covers a low proportion of the British population than EE at 66 per cent of the UK versus 81 per cent respectively.

Plans

If you want a new phone from EE, you will have to commit to a 24-month contract, while SIM-only deals can be bagged for 12-months or a 30-day rolling contract.

O2 also stipulates 24-month contracts for those wanting new phones. However, its O2 Refresh gimmick allows users to upgrade early by splitting the tariff into an Airtime Plan and a Phone Plan. To upgrade, you pay off what's left of the Phone Plan and select a new mobile with a new Phone Plan. O2 also offers SIM-only plans on a 12-month or 30-day rolling basis.

Customer Service

According to Ofcom's Customer Satisfaction Survey, EE achieved an overall score of 69 per cent, while O2 managed a score of 78 per cent. The average mark was 73 per cent.

Other features

EE has a Film Store that offers movies available to watch on demand. It offers customers the chance to buy tickets for England football matches and live music events before the rest of the general public.

O2 has Priority Moments that features exclusive deals for its customers. These include discounts for shops and restaurants. The app also offers access to popular Channel 4 shows 48 hours before they air on TV. It also offers tickets to gigs 48 hours before the general public.

Verdict

While EE arguably has the most extensive 4G network in terms of speed and coverage, O2 has more budget-friendly deals.

Over the last few years, as mobile users and businesses have slowly started to demand more and more from their devices at work and for their own personal use, there's been a shift from the previously ubiquitous 3G connectivity to the faster, more reliable, 4G.

Thus far, the UK has been slow off the mark in terms of rolling out the service to everyone, with those Kevin Bacon-fronted adverts our only clue that things were changing for a long while. Now EE has had its sole licence for 4G prised from its hands and all the major networks get to have a go.

This comes after a period of time in which, after having to bid in the government's 4G wireless spectrum auctions for a licence, only EE was given permission to provide 4G services using spare 3G spectrum. Competitors were left lagging behind for almost a year while EE carved out its place in the market with the aforementioned Kevin Bacon ads.

Now, licensees include EE, Hutchinson 3G (Three), Telefonica (O2) and Vodafone. EE, however, still has the largest 4G network due to its head start, but other operators are catching up.

Towards the end of 2014, it was reported that 4G speeds in the UK have halved as more people have signed up for the service. This puts the benefits of 4G into question should the previously significant gap between it and 3G speeds start to close.

Additional studies have, however, also claimed that average speeds for 4G are still around double those provided by 3G. In November, it was revealed that Ofcom was planning to sell-off spectrum used by the Ministry of Defence to boost available bandwidth for 4G networks.

In May 2015, Ofcom released details on plans to auction more spectrum for 4G services. However, availablility would be limited in order to future-proof networks against impending mergers. The regulator has asked potential bidders how they think it should release the 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz spectrum bands.

4G is primed and ready to take over, changing the way we use our devices at work, on the go and at home, so here is our guide to everything you need to know.

How does 4G differ from 3G?

3G, launched back in 2003, has served us well and brought widespread connectivity to everyone and made it possible to be truly mobile as long as you had a phone or tablet at your disposal.

No technology is fault-free, however. The problem with 3G lay in the range of service one could expect from the third generation mobile technology. This could range from around 400Kbps to somewhere near to 4,000Kbps. 3G also has a reputation for being unreliable, with sudden drops in speed and complete outages all too common an occurrence.

There was less consistency than might have been expected and slow data speeds just aren't something most people can accept these days. The tide is changing, with 4G promising to overcome all of the issues we've had with mobile data speeds and coverage.

4G promises internet speeds that are five times faster than was possible with 3G, as well as a significantly reduced likelihood of losing your connection. To put it all into perspective, downloads take just seconds, web pages load instantly and streaming either live TV or services such as Netflix can be done without endless buffering time.

But then there is also more than one kind of 4G available to customers, with standard 4G promising speeds two and a half times faster than Ultrafast 3G and double-speed 4G speeds up to five times faster. Like with 3G before it, there's no particular standard, with what you get seemingly differing from network to network.

Throughout 2014, talk surrounding national roaming plans sparked fears that a 4G rollout would be delayed by up to two years as a result.

Why should businesses be interested?

3G has been increasingly showing its age since businesses began to rely more heavily on phones and tablets for work, whether remotely, in the office or out-of-hours. Employees no longer need to leave their work behind when they exit the door everything is at their fingertips at all times and this increased usage demands high-speed, reliable coverage wherever they go.

4G promises to be the solution, good enough to offer either primary or secondary internet connections for employees not always able to be plugged in at their desks. It would be nice if fast, reliable Wi-Fi was available to us everywhere we go, but that's just not the world we live in. Not right now, anyway.

The rise of BYOD and tablets powerful enough to potentially replace laptops has meant that we're less chained to our desks than ever. 4G wireless broadband keeps businesses connected, with more flexibility and the chance to take advantage of remote working or collaboration between teams spread across different parts of the country or even the world.

The truth is that mobile data usage has been rapidly rising for over a decade, and 4G can be seen as a necessary evolution that finally catches up to the demands of an ever-changing world. Companies in the UK are experimenting not just with the adoption of smartphones and tablets for work use, but also with cloud storage and flexible working, and this requires a boost in connectivity.

Adopting 4G is basically a way to both catch up with current technological advances and future-proof your business at the same time. As 4G becomes more widespread across the UK, firms can switch to more remote working for employees, cloud storage for backing-up documents and files and, as a result, increased productivity.

Are there any downsides to 4G?

While other networks are admittedly catching up quickly, there's still a clear leader in the 4G game EE. With a 10-month lead on the technology, the company has been able to build up its offering to include a range of advantages not even on the others' radar, but it also means that connectivity is still limited. Devices ready for 4G aren't much use if your area does not yet have coverage.

There's also a big issue with security, which is reportedly the main concern amongst consumers still considering whether or not to switch. In February 2014, the MailOnline reported from the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona that, while the majority of phones at the event were being sold with 4G in mind, the improved data speeds come at the price of greater vulnerability.

Leonid Burakovsky, senior director of strategic solutions at F5, says: "What the industry has done with 4G/LTE is taken a self-contained telephone network, secured primarily by virtue of being separate from the internet, and then bolted-on internet capabilities which were never designed to prevent eavesdropping."

The less secure protocol used for 4G means that all manner of sensitive information is essentially left more vulnerable, from passwords to bank details, and this poses a huge problem for businesses interested in utilising the technology.

"The main security problem with 4G networks is that user information can become easily available to hackers via, for instance, man-in-the-middle' attacks, and hackers can compromise new services like mobile health or mobile commerce," Burakovsky continues.

With the technology still relatively young, especially in the UK, networks are under pressure to reassure consumers of 4Gs' safety, especially in a business environment in which the sharing of potentially sensitive information is a part of day-to-day life.

EE

When Orange and T-Mobile merged to create EE (or Everything Everywhere) in October 2010, this heralded the start of the company's plans to make 4G accessible for all, and its rollout of the technology began in earnest in September 2012.

The head start has meant that EE's 4G connectivity is currently available in more than 100 towns and cities across the UK, making it the most widespread and thus the most attractive to early adopters. It also has the most 4G spectrum, with access to 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2.6GHz. This makes it seem like not just the best option for now, but also for the future as the technology evolves.

4G with EE gives users consistently great speeds and good indoor and long-range coverage. It is also the only company offering double-speed 4G LTE, with LTE-A 20 times faster than standard 3G being trialed in London's Tech City.

EE has also promised that 300Mbps 4G could be available in early 2015, with the service first being tested in Tech City and Wembley Stadium.

As of the beginning of January 2015, EE's 4G customer base had reached 7.7 million subscribers in the UK, adding 5.7 million in 2014.

The company has also continued to offer 4G to more areas of the country, investing in rural coverage and dedicating 1.5 billion in the expansion between now and 2017, for which EE has set itself the target of bringing connectivity to more than 99 per cent of the population across 90 per cent of the UK.

In February, BT made a bid to acquire EE for 12.5 billion. The combined group plans to sell a full range of services to its customer base. This could mean better 4G deals for BT Broadband customers.

The acquisition has seen calls by rival operators on BT/EE to give up some of its spectrum as part of the deal. The deal is currently being looked at by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Vodafone

Vodafone and O2 are both hot on the heels of market leaders EE, launching their 4G networks on the same day differing significantly from each other in terms of spectrum and coverage.

Vodafone has the edge, with 2.6GHz offered as well as 800MHz as well as coverage that's almost in line with EE's. Vodafone has also been careful to keep its pricing competitive, with lots of extras such as entry-level tariffs and additional data allowance included in various deals.

The company has also launched Sure Signal Premium for business use, which gives users access to its 4G network to ensure high-speed, reliable connections at all times. This is designed to boost internet in places where Wi-Fi isn't up to scratch, helping businesses to maintain productivity.

As of May 2015, Vodafone had three million 4G users in the UK and covered 71 per cent of the population.

O2

O2's 4G offering is currently quite limited. It has coverage in the majority of big UK cities, but that leaves the rest of the country with huge blind spots, but the relatively low price range keeps it in the game against its competitors.

In order to entice customers away from the presently-superior alternatives, O2 offered seductive deals such as a 27 per month O2 Refresh airtime contract with 5GB of data instead of 3GB if they signed up before the end of February 2014.

There was also the issue of the iPhone 5 having not been compatible with O2's 4G network a significant spanner in the works only overcome by the offer of an early upgrade deal for customers who purchased theirs within a certain time frame.

Last November, it was announced that TalkTalk had signed a deal with O2 to use its network over Vodafone's, expanding its 4G offering to customers.

Currently, more than five million customers of O2 have signed up to a 4G tariff. Around 68 per cent of the country has outdoor 4G coverage from O2, with the network reaching almost 500 UK towns and cities.

Three

Three was the second network to be licensed for 4G after purchasing leftover 3G bandwidth from EE, but the catch was that part of the deal meant they were actually the last of the four to actually launch a 4G service.

Launching with coverage for only four cities, it added 42 more in 2014 and has confirmed another 16 for 2015, carving out a place for its 4G network despite its absence at the start of the race. The biggest draw for consumers, however, is the offer of free 4G for customers - the only network to do so.

In December 2014, the mobile provider announced that a third of its UK customers (3.1 million) were using its 4G service, despite the late start and relatively limited availability (48 per cent of UK).

"The addition of low frequency spectrum is just one part of our plans to expand Three's coverage and bring our network to more people in more places in 2015," said Three's CEO Dave Dyson.

Where is 4G headed next?

Now that all four networks are offering 4G services to their customers, the burning question is where do we go from here?

The first things to happen, as history tells us, is that consumer confidence will rise, prices will drop and the technology will grow over the next couple of years. Previous predictions suggested 4G coverage in the UK would reach 98 per cent by the end of 2014 but, with data usage rising all of the time, will what the networks are offering be enough?

Whether it's streaming a movie from home or taking advantage of 4G at work, the demand is already threatening to overtake the reality. As such, it's easy to imagine a time when users are demanding even faster, more reliable and ever-present internet speeds.

So how long until 5G is introduced? It's taken the better part of a decade for 3G to get an upgrade, but will it take as long for the life-span of 4G to run its course?

When discussing the development of mobile data offerings for the future, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: "The demands for mobile data will only increase as millions more wireless devices connect to the internet and each other.

"We're looking at ways to use spectrum more efficiently and consider future releases of prime spectrum. By doing so, we can help to meet the significant demands placed on our wireless infrastructure and develop one of the world's leading digital economies."

The regulator also claimed the new spectrum could raise mobile data capacity by 25 times before 2030. This will likely help to support M2M communications and the development of the Internet of Things.

Several monumental things are happening at once right now, with the shift towards ubiquitous data coverage, the Internet of Things and wearable technology all paving the way for a future that has us more connected to each other and our surroundings than ever before.

Right now, 4G appears to be the answer, giving us much faster data speeds and a widespread internet connection that far outstrips the capabilities of 3G.

EE's head start also gives us a reliable picture of where the other three major mobile companies are headed, while also alerting us to some concerns and limitations that may become much bigger issues down the road.

Security is a big one, with the increased vulnerability a sizeable stumbling block for an otherwise attractive option for businesses looking to improve efficiency and productivity. The rising use of phones and tablets for work, cloud storage and remote working have brought about many privacy concerns, and 4G's capacity to add more could provide a significant barrier to its success for enterprise customers.

Pricing is another factor that is consistently evolving to fit with what is out there, what competitors are offering and what customers are willing to pay. Though EE was in the unique position of being able to charge a premium, the increasingly competitive offerings of Vodafone, O2 and Three make this no longer the case.

Speaking about 4G data plans, research analyst at Parks Associates, Jennifer Kent, said: "Deciphering optimal mobile data pricing schemes is an important piece of operators' monetisation efforts, and many are experimenting with their mobile data pricing plans."

The potential for 4G business use is significant, however, and fits in with many other changes in the enterprise and beyond. 4G might have struggled to gain a foothold in the UK as of yet, but it has the next few years to really prove its worth.

This article was originally published in August 2014, and has been updated numerous times and most recently on 9 June 2015.

Small businesses are lagging behind larger firm's 4G adoption rate, according to Vodafone.

Just 24 per cent of SMBs use 4G, compared to 39 per cent of larger firms, demonstrate results from a YouGov survey commissioned by the mobile operator.

Phil Mottram, Vodafone UK enterprise director, said that a combination of cost and a lack of knowledge is preventing businesses from taking advantage of the service.

"Businesses need to be ready to take advantage of the tools and technologies that can give them the competitive edge today and in the future," he said. "Now is the time for those businesses which are yet to invest in 4G to do so and to start benefitting from its full potential."

Of 1,200 respondents, 64 per cent are not currently using 4G and 41 per cent have no current plans to adopt it at all.

"While the perception of cost is still stopping businesses from taking the step towards 4G, the significant knowledge gap of what it can offer UK businesses is a challenge," Mottram added.

"Despite the growing availability and affordability of 4G devices and services, the lack of a true understanding of the benefits that the technology can bring, as revealed by this survey, is undeniably holding enterprises back from reaping the rewards of introducing 4G to their business."

However, he also acknowledged that network providers like Vodafone are partly responsible for informing customers about 4G.

"To help decision makers see the viable business case in upgrading to 4G, Vodafone is committed to helping businesses understand how 4G can benefit them based on their business functions, needs and priorities using the greater speed and capacity that 4G can provide."

The results arrived as YouTube watchers help to push 4G traffic above 3G usage for EE, the largest 4G network in the UK.

Data usage in areas such as Scotland have risen by up to 60 per cent, with 10 million now signed up to EE's 4G service, the network claimed. YouTube accounts for 67 per cent of video streaming traffic.

Vodafone is devoting 1 billion into upgrades, expanding its 4G coverage to over 500 cities and towns across the UK this year.

BT's return to the mobile market has netted it 50,000 customers within just six weeks of releasing a SIM-only 4G offering, the telco giant confirmed today.

The cheapest of its BT Mobile 4G contracts, geared towards current customers, costs just 5, but currently the company can't offer iPhones or Android smartphones to users.

The growth was revealed as part of BT's latest financial quarter results, released today, and comes as BT awaits regulatory approval for its 12.5 billion acquisition of EE.

Its SIM service piggybacks on EE's existing network, which will soon belong to the British firm.

Paolo Pescatore, director of multiplay and media at analyst house CCS Insight, called the start "strong and encouraging".

He added: "We expect to see a strong marketing push for its mobile service later in the year.

"This will be tied in with the new Premier League season, as consumers look to renew their broadband subscriptions to continue receiving BT Sport for free."

BT is pursuing a quad-play offering, providing broadband, mobile, pay-TV and landline to customers as it seeks to expand, and its purchase of EE prompted further consolidation among telcos and mobile operators.

Three owner Hutchinson is buying O2 for 10.25 billion while Sky is rumoured to be hunting for a network.

Elsewhere on BT's balance sheet, broadband and TV revenues rose 10 per cent, adding 266,000 new Infinity fibre broadband customers and 52,000 new TV customers.

CEO Gavin Patterson said: "It's been a ground-breaking year for BT, in which we've made some key decisions and announced some major investments to underpin the future growth of the business.

"Our superfast broadband network now passes more than three-quarters of the UK and we've announced plans to upgrade to ultrafast. This will be another multi-year investment by Openreach and is the right thing for both BT and the UK, providing even faster speeds in an already competitive market."

Mobile operators have been scrambling to outdo each other on 4G provision ever since EE lost its sole provider status in the summer of 2013.

Even BT has muscled in on the market, launching a super-cheap SIM-only offer geared to current broadband customers back in March.

And take-up has swelled correspondingly, with EE - soon to be taken over by BT - expecting its customer base to grow to 14 million by the end of the year.

Consumers and business users demanding more from their mobile devices are leading the charge and Three, O2 and Vodafone are fighting to match EE's speedy adoption rate.

Two and a half years since the launch of 4G, the question now is whether it can actually provide the improvement everyone's looking for.

Coverage and speeds are both commonly cited issues that have prevented the supposedly superfast network from truly taking over from older technology, like 3G, which continues to be highly used.

IT Pro explores these barriers to examine how they can be overcome.

Speeds

One of the major problems consumers have had with 3G is the unpredictability of service. Speeds easily range from around 400Kbps to 4,000Kbps, and complete outages are all too common a problem.

This can all be a thing of the past, according to 4G advocates, with more consistency and speeds outstripping the best 3G can hope to offer.

Of course, it's not as simple as that, with the networks all promising different contracts with different speeds and data allowances.

The average download speed for 4G fell significantly between spring and winter 2014, according to a recent study from Ofcom, the latest in a list of reports that have indicated that speeds optimistically promised by the various networks are far from what's actually being delivered.

Ofcom concludes this is a result of 4G's increasing popularity, with average speeds dropping from 15.1Mbps to 14.7Mbps between Q2 and Q4.

Average speeds in London remained static, while those in Edinburgh fell by 12 per cent over the six month period.

James Barford, telecoms expert at Enders Analysis, told The Guardian: "When the network becomes shared amongst more users the average is going to decline. The art of network planning is to ensure it doesn't decline too much."

Of the results, EE held onto to its position as having the fastest download speeds (18.6Mbps) across 81 per cent of homes and businesses, while Three lost out with just 8.6Mbps across 53 per cent.

In April, Three revealed that it would be offering VoLTE (voice over LTE) from September, following Vodafone, which is already rolling out the service.

This comes as a result of some 800MHz spectrum purchased in 2013, allowing customers to make calls over 4G and increasing coverage.

On their 4G offering, Three told IT Pro: "We now cover 55 per cent of the population with 4G and 42 per cent of our customer base now access our 4G network on a regular basis.

"We benchmark the performance of our network using direct feedback from customers and measures of customer experience like call success rate, web browsing speed and video loading times."

It claimed its network performs well against these measures, pointing to a YouGov poll claiming Three's the most popular network, while customers can also use their data abroad for no extra charge.

Coverage

The goal, of course, is to make coverage ubiquitous enough to render wired connections completely unnecessary.

This advancement would need to be met by unlimited data allowances and cheaper deals, but it would also make 4G a lot more enticing, especially for businesses.

This, unfortunately, is not yet the case, and huge gaps in coverage mean that 4G has a long way to go before it can be used as anyone's primary means of connecting.

Cloud storage, remote working and an increased reliance on mobile devices for work has made dependable, fast 4G all the more desirable, and now it just has to get good enough to meet those requirements.

Findings from ExpertMarket.co.uk show that regional coverage of 4G suffers in comparison to that in London, which leaves the capital with a significant advantage over businesses based in busy cities such as Bristol, Belfast and Middlesbrough.

Amy Catlow, director at Expert Market, said: "These findings make it clear that phone companies are still favouring London, and many places across the UK are receiving a poor service as a result.

"It is not only troubling for people in terms of business, but must be very frustrating for individual users too, who might find it hard to stream or download while out and about."

In response to the findings, UK CEO at Vodafone, Jereon Hoencamp, said: "It's not about who's got the most coverage. It's more about having the strongest signal.

"We'd love to expand the network faster, but it's about doing it right first time; I'd rather do it at the pace we're doing and get it right, than try to go faster and build a thin and flimsy network.

"You can have a few sites here and there, but that would give you really patchy signal. We only turn 4G on when we have built or updated enough sites."

Improving coverage is a key concern for networks seeking to take the biggest piece of the 4G pie, with a spokesperson for O2 telling IT Pro: "In terms of coverage, our 4G network now covers 450 towns and cities and we currently stand at 54 per cent indoor population coverage."

But the mobile operator, being bought by Three owner Hutchinson for 10.25 billion, admitted a 600 million network investment over 2015 will go towards modernising its 2G and 3G networks, as well as funding its 4G roll out.

"We are committed to achieving our target of 98 per cent UK population coverage (indoor) by the end of 2017 the only operator to have made that commitment to Ofcom," the spokesperson added.

Similarly, a spokesperson for Vodafone said: "Vodafone has now extended its 4G coverage to 491 larger cities, towns and districts as well as thousands of smaller communities across the UK.

"Vodafone plans to provide coverage using 2G, 3G or 4G services to 98 per cent of the UK population. The rollout of 4G services is part of approximately 1 billion Vodafone is spending across its network and services in the UK this year, with a similar amount spent last year."

Pricing

Pricing tends to be where mobile networks separate the most, all seeking to offer the best deals and different combinations of data, calls and texts for the cheapest price.

Those offerings from the four big providers are as follows:

With Vodafone still offering the most expensive service, Gyanee Dewnarain, research VP for networking and communications services at Gartner, levelled this against adoption rates, saying: "From a pricing perspective, Vodafone is currently the most expensive while Three offers the best value for money.

"This has also reflected on customer adoption levels, with Vodafone trailing behind O2 and Three despite strong promotional tactics such as bundling Sky Sports, Spotify and Netflix.

"EE cannot be compared to the others due to its eight-month lead in the market. That said, its position as the European leader with nine million 4G customers is noteworthy."

All of this will result in more aggressive advertising campaigns and deals, Dewnarain predicts, with the market becoming more crowded as demand continues to grow.

What now?

With three of the four biggest UK networks beginning to catch up to EE's significant head start with 4G, the market has become increasingly competitive.

The union of BT and EE, for example, means it will focus on triple-play and quad-play offerings, while others will join them by targeting newly popular devices such as smartwatches and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The main problem facing the technology is that speeds and coverage cannot compete with the user growth, and the amount of people signing up to use 4G has dramatically impacted the quality of service they then receive.

Networks needs to address this, as well as being more honest about what they are offering to customers in the first place.

Speaking about this discrepancy, Dewnarain said: "The theoretical and perceived speeds are always going to be vastly different.

"As a result, even if EE says it's network can achieve theoretical speeds of 150 Mbps with LTE-Advanced technology, in practice, it's not unusual that customers may only experience speeds of 20-30Mbps at best.

"The actual speed experienced depends on the load on the network (how many people are using a tower at the same time); your position within the cell (whether you are closer to the tower or nearer the edge of the cell); the terrain (reflection, refraction from objects in an urban environment) and interference."

Another big question is how long we'll have to wait for 5G to appear, and whether it will take as long to upgrade 4G as it did 3G.

The rise of the IoT certainly suggests that things will need to progress, and fast.

With businesses becoming increasingly reliant on 4G when out of the office - working remotely and while travelling - speed, availability and reliability are becoming more and more important.

Mobile networks in the UK will have to meet that demand if they are to remain in the race.

Vodafone has upgraded all Red Value Bundle customers to 4G plans and upped data limits to 25GB.

Customers signed up to 24-month Red Value Bundles will now benefit from a choice of entertainment options, including a Now TV Entertainment Pass, Spotify Premium or Sky Sports mobile subscriptions. Each of these extras eat into data allowances, so it makes sense for Vodafone to boost limits, although with previous bundles offering up to 20GB, the extra 5GB for power users won't make too much of a difference.

An enhanced version of Vodafone EuroTraveller, which allows customers to use their inclusive UK minutes, texts and data from a number of European countries for 3 a day, is another perk offered on Vodafone's reshuffled plans. It's not as attractive as Three's Feel at Home service, but it's better than being stung for using your phone abroad nonetheless.

Cindy Rose, consumer director at Vodafone UK, said: "Our customers told us that they wanted more data and access to our 4G network, regardless of what agreement they are on. Whether they're passionate about this season's mustsee boxsets on NOW TV, the latest tunes on Spotify Premium, or keeping up to date with all the action on Sky Sports Mobile TV, they can do thanks to our 4G network and bigger data allowances."

Vodafone's Red Value Bundles are available with data limits starting at 4GB. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is available to preorder on this plan from 44/month if you trade in an old Samsung Galaxy phone at the same time. The HTC One M9 will cost 65/month for the top bundle with 25GB data.

Rose continued: "With our new bundle structure and Fixed Price Promise, Vodafone customers have the flexibility and security to enjoy more of what they love safe in the knowledge their line rental cost will remain the same for the contract term, making Vodafone the network they can depend on."

Some EE customers will be given the ability to make calls even when there is no 3G/4G signal in their location as the operator has rolled out Wi-Fi calling for some of its UK users.

Designed to help the millions of people who struggle with maintaining a good connection at home or at work, the service will switch between the two automatically when needed without the user having to do anything.

Olaf Swantee, EE's chief executive, said to the BBC: "We have worked more than a year to make sure that everything works like a normal phone connection. So, the ringtone, the voicemail, the quality of the conversation all of that is exactly the same with our solution.

"I think that's essential as customers don't have the time to figure out whether they should be using an app. They want to simply know the network will switch from one technology to the other without customer intervention."

The service will initially be available to monthly subscribers with Lumia 640 device and Samsung S6 and S6 Edge users from April 10th. The BBC reported EE will subsequently roll out the service to users with the iPhone 5s and later devices. EE stated that by summer of this year, some five million customers will have access to Wi-Fi calling.

To join, these customers simply need to send a text message to EE.

Older models will not be supported due to the absence of some built-in components, but EE will reportedly release a budget smartphone to compensate for this.

The announcement comes in the face of similar services being introduced by EE's rivals such as Vodafone, O2 (Tu Go) and Three (Three inTouch), indicating that a demand definitely exists.

"One of the complained about factors with mobile phones is just making a voice call, and perhaps an approach of getting the fundamental of connectivity right can act as a differentiator for the firm," added CCS Insight's Kester Mann. "Vodafone will also be launching a similar Wi-Fi calling service in the summer."

EE was an early entrant into the 4G market, and has benefitted for this foresight. In January 2015, it hit 7.7 million 4G users, beating the 12-month target of 6 million. This week, the operator topped mobile network data speeds at Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

BT announced its return to the mobile market this week, a year after leaving the launching a range of 4G subscriptions and threatening to shake up the market with super-cheap prices.

It comes after the telco giant announced its 12.5 billion acquisition of EE, which is now being scrutinised by Ofcom.

If passed, the former nationally-owned company will have an unprecedented 31 per cent share of UK mobile customers following the merger.

The cheapest of the telco giant's SIM-only 4G subscription offerings will be priced at just 5 a month for existing BT broadband customers, and the company promises consumers that they could save around half of what they currently pay for their mobile service.

The question of whether BT's offering will pose a significant threat to other providers or provide more competition remains open, but it does look set to shake up the mobile market.

BT was first a mobile player in 1985, when it launched what's now known as O2 in a joint venture with Securicor.

Subsequently renamed BT Cellnet, BT then spun off the service, before it was bought by Telefonica in 2005, which rebranded it O2.

After much speculation, BT snapped up EE rather than O2, and the move appears far less of a risk than before.

Where BT was once a pioneer in the mobile market, its renewed efforts in the mobile space are set to shift it once again, with the acquisition giving it multi-plat status: landline, broadband, pay-TV and now mobile.

Paolo Pescatore, director of multiplay and media at CCS Insight, believes BT's actions will spark sharp change in the UK market.

"BT has made the right decision to offer a range of simple and transparent packages as part of its return to the consumer mobile market," he says.

"The tariffs are spot on and it lays down the gauntlet to other multiplay providers in the UK."

Speaking to IT Pro about the state of mobile in the UK, Professor Simon Saunders, director of technology at Real Wireless, points out the shift in offerings from the country's providers.

"There's been pretty major movement of the tectonic plates of both the mobile and the fixed markets for the UK," he says. "We've had substantial movement over the last couple of years, with first the consolidation of T-Mobile and Orange into EE, and then the spectrum auction, which substantially changed the position of the different players going into 4G.

"With this change we're seeing something very interesting in a way I think it's fair to say that the idea of a mobile-only operator, certainly in a UK context, is pretty much dead, and the idea that we separate mobile operators and fixed line operators into two different brackets needs essential revision."

Clive Longbottom, analyst at Quocirca, agrees saying the UK is now in a post-quad-play' environment in which companies need to offer landline, broadband, mobile and television in order to remain at all competitive in the market.

BT, of course, has now completed the set with its move into mobile.

"[BT's] new foray into the market will allow it to be a true quad player," Longbottom says. "However, this, on its own, will not be enough Virgin and Sky will also be there and loyalty is ephemeral in the market.

"What BT needs to do is to go past the quad-play thought process, instead going for a unified play. By pulling everything together and layering other services on top of ubiquitous connectivity, it makes its customers far more sticky which is what the financial markets are looking for."

Quad-play offerings are far more prevalent in Europe than the UK, but BT's move is changing this, forcing providers to expand their offerings to customers.

Three looks likely to buy BT's spurned offspring, O2, for 10.25 billion, while rumours have it Sky is wheeling out its shopping trolley, too.

But BT's buy-out of EE will also affect rival providers in other ways, with Ofcom inviting competitors to voice their concerns before delivering a final verdict.

"I don't think any fixed player can be credible these days without a mobility offering," Saunders adds.

"By this move, BT/EE ends up in a very strong position with more customers than anybody else, with a bigger fixed network, with more sites and with more spectrum collectively. So very clearly they're in a position to offer impressive coverage and impressive capacity to their impressive numbers of customers."

For BT's rivals, it could be worrisome, despite the telco's claims that consumers will end up getting wider choice and better deals out of the acquisition.

This, however, may not actually be the case, with "sufficient competition" cited by Ofcom as a major necessity in the market.

There's also the issue of customer share, with BT and EE together holding a large portion of the broadband market combined. In 2014, Ofcom stats show BT had 31 per cent with EE holding on to three per cent, while in second position Virgin Media only had 20 per cent of UK customers signed up.

In addition to this, CCS Insight estimates that eight in 10 UK households will be signed up to a multiplay bundle package by 2019, with the market moving rapidly into quad-play as standard.

"What we've seen in the mergers that have happened in the mobile market across Europe over the last several years is that, by and large, the mergers have gone through," Saunders adds.

"But there have tended to be some strings attached and those strings have gotten progressively more tangled with each successive merger or takeover."

There are many areas Ofcom must look at to tackle this, he says, including access to sites, share of spectrum and access to the host network at a good wholesale rate.

"Other mergers have led to parties having to divest themselves of spectrum, so that other people can get involved... I'd expect for the competition authorities to be thinking about that whole range of potential competition remedies, and a few more elaborate ones besides."

BT's return to the mobile market, bolstered by the EE merger, means a lot of things for competitors and customers - however, there are also a lot of potential issues that need to be addressed.

Over the coming months, telcos and mobile carriers will squabble over broadband access, BT's dominance of the market and plenty of other issues.

But one sure thing is that a quad-play offering is fast becoming a requirement for all providers, and BT's EE purchase is the preamble to a scramble to consolidate: mobile operators want to be bought, and telcos will be looking for the most suitable acquisitions.

Huawei has outlined its roadmap for 4.5G cellular connectivity, which it claims will boost connection speeds, increase network capacity and reduce latency.

Speaking at a strategy event in London, Bob Cai, VP of marketing wireless network products at Huawei, confirmed the networking vendor is testing the next-gen, high-speed connectivity together with networks, chip firms and device manufacturers. The technology is on-course to be deployed next year.

He outlined three benefits 4.5G will provide compared to existing 4G technology.

- 4.5G can provide speeds of up to 1Gbps, 3x the speed of 4G in the UK (300Mbps)

- 4.5G will enable 100 times the connections per cell compared to 4G

- Latency will be reduced to 10ms

Huawei believes that 4.5G will help networks to deal with the pressure that is expected to increase with the prominence of virtual reality and cellular IoT devices over the nexy five years.

Meanwhile, reducing network latency from 50ms (4G) to 10ms (4.5G) will enable more reliable deployment of drones, smart meters and factory automation - which require real-time interaction.

"Machine-to-machine [communication] is not a new concept but it's mainly limited to short distance communications through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Cellular will allow long-distance communications [and] will mainly be used in the industrial areas [for] robots and automation," he said.

While BT's bid to acquire EE continues, the mobile operator has reinforced its commitment to ongoing investment in the UK's 4G network infrastructure.

In a strategy document, entitled Signalling the Future, the company sets out plans to invest 1.5 billion between now and 2017 in ensuring the UK's appetite for network capacity is met.

As part of this, EE said it's set itself a target to deliver 4G connectivity to more than 99 per cent of the population and across 90 per cent of the UK by 2017.

In the report, Olaf Swantee, EE's CEO, said the aim is to ensure every UK home can benefit from mobile coverage, with particular emphasis on those living in rural areas.

"Alongside every home, we will continue our focus on roads and rails and parts of the country that people spend their daily lives.

"Around 500m of the total spend will be focused on improving rural coverage in the hard-to-reach parts of the UK that are asking for our help and to which we've not previously been able to deliver the mobile experience they deserve," he said.

In part, this investment is being spurred on by the increasing use of smart devices within UK households, he added, as well as EE's commitment to ensuring the country is positioned at the "forefront of the new mobile era."

To help boost mobile connectivity in rural areas, EE is proposing the use of Micro Network technology that, it claims, will make it possible for residents of 1,500 communities without access to reliable mobile service to make calls and use mobile data services.

It's also planning to deploy a low frequency 800 MHz spectrum to improve access to mobile services to rural areas covering 1,500 square miles.

Andy Sutton, principal network architect at EE, said this work will pave the way for UK-wide adotion of 5G technologies later down the line.

"We've invested in 4G and taken the UK back to a position of leadership in mobile, and now we're investing in 5G so that we can define the next step, and keep both us and the UK mobile industry one step ahead.

"Working closely with academic institutions such as the 5GIC at the University of Surrey and the EU's Horizon 2020 TWEETHER' project at Lancaster University on technologies that are truly ground-breaking, EE will continue to change the way people think of what's possible with mobile.

"We will continue to evolve new 4G technologies, as they lay the perfect foundation for being a global leader in 5G," Sutton added.

Vodafone's UK CEO Jeroen Hoencamp announced the network won't be pushing for 400Mbps mobile broadband but wants to make services more reliable instead.

Vodafone is already achieving a more stable network than its competitors because it uses low band spectrum that has been designed to penetrate buildings better, offering "great indoor coverage," according to Hoencamp.

"We could build a network just to achieve massive speeds, but the reality is that you don't currently need anything beyond 20Mbps on a mobile device," he said.

"Even for streaming video you only need a couple of megabits per second, so we think less about absolute speed and more about using that bandwidth to enable more customers to enjoy great content on the move, even in the busiest places and at the busiest times."

Hoencamp added that many of Vodafone's customers don't know or care what 4G is. They want consistency with their network rather than the ability to download films in seconds or stream content faster, he claimed.

"People tend to take technology for granted, so we need to make it seamless and easy for people to use, and worry free, so that they can forget about it," he added.

Vodafone's 4G network covers more than 50 per cent of the UK population, but boosting coverage isn't a focus for the company. Rather than speeding up its roll out of superfast mobile broadband to keep up with the likes of O2 and EE, it wants to focus efforts on building a more reliable network.

"I'd rather [roll out 4G] at the pace we're doing and get it right, than try to go faster and build a thin and flimsy network. You can have a few sites here and there, but that would give you really patchy signal. We only turn 4G on when we have built or updated enough sites.

"So instead of just having 4G in the centre of a town and saying that the whole town has 4G, we don't say it's there until it's there. It's about us being able to prove that people are happy with it," he said.

EE continues to reap the benefits of early 4G deployment, with the operator smashing the 4G sign-up target it set for 2014.

The network added 5.7 million new 4G customers to its network in 2014 and now has a total of 7.7 million 4G users. EE started 2014 with 2 million, and beat its 12-month customer sign-up target of six million.

The mobile operator said 1.7 million of these customers joined the firm in the last two months, suggesting the run-up to Christmas a time when people often get bought new smartphones may have given it a boost.

The past 12 months has seen a number of EE's competitors including Vodafone, Three and O2 step up their 4G deployment efforts. Despite this, the company claims to have signed up more new customers to its 4G plans than any other operator in 2014.

Speaking to IT Pro, John Delaney, associate vice president of mobility at analyst house IDC, said EE's success to date can be largely attributed to the year-long head start it had over its rivals to launch its 4G network.

As reported by IT Pro at the time, Ofcom gave EE permission in August 2012 to re-use its 1800 MHz spectrum to provide 4G services across the UK, while the likes of Vodafone, O2 and Three had to await the outcome of the regulator's spectrum auction.

As a result, EE was able to press ahead with the launch of its network in September 2012, while O2 and Vodafone had to wait until August 2013.

"That head start is probably the most important reason why EE is ahead of its competitors today," said Delaney.

"In the early stages of a mobile generation rollout, one of the key differentiators is coverage and EE had a year's head start to build that [out] before its competitors even got off the starting block... and it's very difficult to close that kind of gap quickly."

The number of towns and cities in the UK that could access its 4G network also increased over the course of 2014, which would have undoubtedly helped increase the number of people using it.

In total, EE made its 4G network available to 350 more towns and cities last year, meaning its services can now be accessed by users residing in 510 UK locations.

As such, the company said its network is now within reach to around 80 per cent of the population and that this figure is on target to hit 98 per cent by the end of 2015.

Its 4G service is also available in 3,894 villages and small towns, providing many of these rural and remote areas with access to superfast broadband for the first time.

As a result of all this adoption, six times more 4G data was used by the firm's customers in 2014 than the previous year, with EE crediting user appetites for sharing photos and videos on social media sites and streaming content from the likes of YouTube and Netflix.

The price is right

Along with its coverage, EE's pricing strategy has also stood the firm in good stead over the past 12 months.

"They've been very clever on their pricing strategy, as they've come out with a constant series of innovations in that area. They didn't have pre-paid price plans to begin with, but they brought that in along with shared device plans," Delaney added.

"And the other thing they did from day one was all their 4g plans had unlimited voice and text. That immediately angles it towards the higher paying customers."

The UK's mobile operators have agreed not to go forward with national roaming plans, investing 5 billion to improve coverage in rural areas across the country currently marred by weak signal.

The introduction of national roaming laws in the UK had been proposed by the government to help eradicate the mobile notspots' that reportedly affect a fifth of the country's population.

EE, O2, Vodafone and Three have all agreed to the plans, which will see them offer better coverage to 90 per cent of the country by 2017. This will effectively halve the number of UK residents who currently experience bad signal in their area.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid had proposed four solutions to the issue. These included national roaming, in which phones would connect to any available network when out of range of their own, as well as infrastructure sharing, reforming virtual networks and coverage obligation.

Javid said in a statement: "Too many parts of the UK regularly suffer from poor mobile coverage leaving them unable to make calls or send texts.

"Government and businesses have been clear about the importance of mobile connectivity, and improved coverage, so this legally binding agreement will give the UK the world-class mobile phone coverage it needs and deserves."

Ofcom will reportedly monitor progress of the agreement and the communications regulator may take the extra money being invested into account when deciding future licence fees.

The government previously opened the matter up to response from the industry, businesses and the public until 26 November, when a final decision had to be made.

But the UK's biggest providers didn't greet the proposals enthusiastically, citing various issues the move could bring to both their businesses and their customers.

A spokesperson from O2, who claimed that the company is spending 1.5 million per day on improving 2G, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, told IT Pro: "We have made our concerns over the national roaming proposals very clear and have advised the government on a range of alternative solutions to achieve the same ambition, some of which we have already embarked upon."

"National roaming is a regulatory solution that will worsen the experience people have when using their phones and undermine future investment in mobile infrastructure in the UK," they added.

A report from OpenSignal into 3G and 4G connectivity around the UK found that, though London was best for both, 4G speeds had almost halved since more users signed up for the high-speed service from their network. Three was found to have the slowest 4G coverage, while EE had the best.

Dubbing national roaming a "flawed concept" that will "deteriorate network reliability for tens of millions across the UK," a spokesperson for EE told IT Pro: "We're keenly aware there are some parts of the UK where customers still can't get adequate signal levels and, while we're already working on some significant nationwide coverage improvement plans, we also need government to work more closely with the industry to remove the barriers to efficiently building more signal in more places."

Mobile operators and the government first entered talks on how to resolve the problem of notspots in the country's rural areas in June, though no formal agreement has been reached.

Vodafone is reported to have been opposed to the national roaming plans for some time.

"As Vodafone and the other UK mobile operators have told the government directly on a number of occasions, national roaming will not provide the people of the UK with better quality voice and mobile internet coverage," the company said in a statement.

"In fact, it would make coverage and quality significantly worse from the customers' perspective, with a much higher risk of dropped calls, lower battery life and negative impact on services such as voicemail."

There is concern among operators that a move towards national roaming could discourage general infrastructure improvements and drive up costs for users.

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch, said of the proposal: "It's encouraging that mobile blackspots are firmly on the political agenda. In this day and age, mobile signal or the lack of it really shouldn't be an issue, whether you live in the middle of the city or the middle of nowhere.

"Allowing networks to ride on the coat tails of others would remove any incentive for underperforming networks to invest in improving their existing infrastructure... Bills could rise yet again if some mobile networks try to recoup the losses through their customers."

Meanwhile, when asked for a statement regarding the national roaming plans, a spokesperson for Three simply said, "We're reviewing the consultation document."

Three has announced 3.1 million of its customers are using 4G, despite the service only launching ten months ago, making it the last UK network to roll out the super-fast service.

Three's 4G service is now available in almost half of the UK (48 per cent), but still lags behind EE's 70 per cent and O2 and Vodafone with 51 per cent coverage.

Three's CEO Dave Dyson said: "The rollout of new capacity is progressing well and, most importantly for me, customer satisfaction is higher than ever. With an advanced 3G network already in place all our customers are able to benefit from a reliable and high performing network.

"The addition of low frequency spectrum is just one part of our plans to expand Three's coverage and bring our network to more people in more places in 2015."

Three aims to cover 98 per cent of the UK with 4G by the end of 2015 by which time its 800MHz spectrum will be up and running around new cell sites to cover more of Britain.

Other strategies include buying a provider that has a stronger 4G network than itself and top of that list is O2. However, O2's chief executive, Ronan Dunne, said earlier in the week it's unlikely Three will acquire the network, with BT looking to be the forerunner.

Dunne said: "At the back end of last year some analysts told me that their main prediction for this year was that Three will buy O2. All I would say is I slept very soundly that night."

Three's parent company Hutchison Whampoa is more likely to buy market leader EE as the two companies already have a tie up, sharing 4G services.

A new report from EE has suggested that the UK national roaming policy currently being mulled over by the government and mobile providers could hold back 4G rollout by up to two years.

The research comes from Capital Economics and predicts that industry spending would be significantly dented by current national roaming plans, with a possible drop of up to 440 million in capital expenditure year-over-year.

Plans could delay the rollout of 4G by between 18 and 24 months, the research claims, while only increasing mobile coverage by 2-4 per cent across the UK.

"EE's consultation response reflects our longstanding view that while we support the ambition to improve rural coverage, the Government's proposal for national roaming in a flawed concept," the mobile provider said in a statement.

The government has proposed the new national roaming law in order to tackle mobile notspots' in rural areas, which reportedly affect a fifth of people across the country.

UK providers have not been enthusiastic about the proposal, with O2 telling IT Pro: "We have made our concerns over the national roaming proposals very clear and have advised the government on a range of alternative solutions to achieve the same ambition, some of which we have already embarked upon.

"National roaming is a regulatory solution that will worsen the experience people have when using their phones and undermine future investment in mobile infrastructure in the UK."

According to the report, mobile operators are currently investing around 5.5 billion between 2012 and 2015.

"Together with the other major UK network operators we will propose a solution that helps solve the problem of rural coverage," EE continued, "without any of the technical, economic and competitive barriers of National Roaming. If agreed by Government, the joint proposal can be implemented quickly and for less cost, a win-win for the British public."