Government moves to settle mobile broadband spectrum dispute
Lord Carter, the communications minister, has today called a meeting with the UK's five mobile phone networks as he tries to thrash out a deal that will help achieve his ambition of universal broadband access by 2012.
The former head of regulator Ofcom is attempting to get the UK's two original mobile phone networks, Vodafone and O2 – formerly Cellnet – to share a slice of the airwaves they were given in the 1980s, so that rivals T-Mobile, Orange and 3 can use it for mobile broadband services.
Lord Carter, in his initial Digital Britain report last month, said the mobile phone companies must thrash out a compromise on sharing the airwaves by the end of April or the government would impose a solution.
The slice of the airwaves controlled by O2 and Vodafone is important to the introduction of universal broadband because it is at a low frequency, which means signals can travel over longer distances.
O2 and Vodafone, understandably, are reluctant to give up their spectrum at the 900 MHz frequency unless the government offers them a sweetener by giving them a slice of the airwaves freed up by the switch-off of the analogue TV signal.
Labels: industry insight, network coverage, quick-news
Orange strengthens mobile broadband coverage in UK
Orange has announced the completion of a network upgrade to expand its HSPA coverage in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Some 760 sites across the two regions have been upgraded resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in network performance for both voice and data.
"We are delighted to announce the new network has gone live in Northern Ireland", said Pete Marsden, vice president IT & Networks. "At Orange we are proud of our commitment to give all our customers access to robust and reliable networks. We are investing heavily in updating and improving our infrastructure to meet our goal of being the best UK network for coverage and reliability."
According to figures from the Mobile World database, Orange ended September with around 15.8 million subscribers, which represents a UK market share of just over 21%. Orange now offers over 94% population 3G coverage and over 70% 3G+ across the UK.
Labels: mobile broadband, network coverage, quick-news
Mobile broadband 4G - the death of copper?
An
article at Times Online today debates the future of copper broadband in the UK in the face of the potential speeds of both 3G and 4G mobile broadband. This is something we at
mobilebroadbandinfo.co.uk have
debated for some time.
It is the digital equivalent of a power blackout and the prospect is already worrying ministers and government planners - at some point in the next decade, the copper telephone network will run out of capacity.
Confronting the problem is expected to lie at the heart of Lord Carter of Barnes's Digital Britain review of communications policy, due early next year, with efforts to solve it focused on an unlikely source: mobile phones.
The Communications Minister is yet to reveal his plans, but he has been dropping heavy hints, writing in The Times this month that he wants to help to develop "mobile and wireless services that can do for broadband and video what they have done for the spoken word"e;.
His goal is to kick-start an auction of "fourth-generation" mobile technology, using a block of spectrum previously set aside for digital television. The 4G technology, known in the industry as LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, can deliver download speeds of ten megabits or more - five times quicker than a standard fixed broadband connection - in fact tests have achieved speeds of 160Mbps.
BT has promised to upgrade up to 40per cent of homes to fibre optic technology - where data is transmitted down filaments of glass at the speed of light - but the rest of the UK will be stuck on copper.
BT will use a new standard, ADSL2+, which promises speeds of "up to 24 megabits" - in theory ten times faster than the two-megabit standard of today. However, theory does not always match up to practice and other internet providers that use BT's network may not want to join it in investing to match its speed.
The 2.6 GHz spectrum can be used for fourth-generation LTE services, but the relatively high frequency means that it requires more base stations, raising the cost of deploying a national network to £2billion, and coverage indoors is poor.
This weakness makes the separate television spectrum much more interesting. A chunk between 790 and 862 megahertz - "the sweetspot in the sweetspot" available from 2012 - has been identified by Ofcom. It would cost far less to deploy, provide better coverage indoors and, it is believed, give fourth-generation phones ten megabit-plus speeds.
If the mobile broadband plan works, rapid internet development will continue into the next decade, fuelled by competing technologies. And, at last, it may be possible to watch Mamma Mia! on your mobile while sitting in a café.
Read the full article
here.
Labels: industry insight, LTE, mobile broadband, network coverage
O2 to double mobile broadband speeds
O2 is to double its HSDPA 3G-enabled
mobile broadband speeds in selected areas of London in December.
O2, currently claiming speeds of 3.6Mbps, will increase them to 7.2Mbps across certain 'pockets' of London for all of its
mobile broadband customers.
O2 also confirmed the speed improvements will be rolled out across other areas of the UK in early 2009.
Labels: mobile broadband, network coverage, o2, quick-news
Three reveals 2010 3G coverage plans
Three has updated its
Mobile Broadband coverage map to include details of its future service rollout plans until 2010.
The new plans suggest that 'up to' 7.2Mbps services will be available to 98% of the population by summer 2009. Furthermore those living in 'big' cities, such as London, should be able to receive 'up to' 14.4Mbps by the third quarter of 2010.
Labels: 3-Mobile, mobile broadband, network coverage, quick-news
3 and T-Mobile join hands to boost their mobile broadband network
The mobile operators,
3 and
T-Mobile, have recently entered a 5-year backhaul agreement with BT Wholesale. The agreement was entered through the two mobile operators' joint-venture company MBNL – Mobile Broadband Network Ltd - formed so that both mobile companies could merge, streamline and strengthen their base stations, and thereby increase their UK reach.
The 5-year deal with BT Wholesale stipulates that BT will connect 7,500 of MBNL's base stations to BT's broadband network (called 21CN – 21st Century Network). The intent is that, by entering this deal, MBNL's capacity to handle the ever-increasing consumer demand for mobile broadband will be bolstered in as cost-efficient and environmentally-beneficial a way as possible.
With the agreement, MBNL envision that by 2010, it will have the most extensive third-generation
mobile broadband network in the UK.
Labels: 3-Mobile, network coverage, quick-news, T-Mobile
Fixed broadband faster than mobile broadband - for ever?
Research shows fixed broadband services are faster than
mobile broadband, and the gap is growing as the likes of BT and Virgin Media attempt fixed broadband data speeds of up to 100Mbps
Broadband comparison site Broadband Expert said fixed broadband services are now, on average, twice as fast as mobile broadband. They clocked the average fixed line broadband speed at 3.61Mbs based on over 308,584 fixed line broadband speed tests, compared to 1.57Mbs for mobile broadband based on 5,345 tests.
Fixed broadband services are now 0.66Mbs faster than they were in February 2008, when the average speed was recorded at 2.95Mbs.
By comparison mobile broadband services surveyed by the same company in April 2008 have increased in speed by just 0.1Mbs.
Broadband Expert's William Harvey said: "Broadband providers are phasing out slower services with many providers entry level packages starting at up to 8Mb and a number of providers upgrading customers on slower services free of charge."
He added: "Mobile broadband is capable of achieving speeds of up to 7.2Mbs in areas of 3G coverage. However where no 3G coverage is available mobile broadband services rely on the much slower 2G network hence the area in which you use your mobile broadband connection can have a huge impact on the speeds achievable".
Harvey expects the gap in speeds between fixed and mobile broadband to grow further, as home broadband providers invest huge sums in updating their networks.
In July, BT announced it will invest £1.5 billion to roll out fibre based broadband services capable of speeds of up to 100Mbs whilst Virgin Media is aiming to make their 50Mbs service available to nine million UK homes by the end of 2008.
We don't think this is the full story though. Recent reports have revealed the full potential of LTE or Long Term Evolution as a '4G' successor to the 3G cellular, or HSPA, infrastructures. Tests have suggested speeds of 100Mbps are possible. If that's the case, surely a nationwide rollout of a cell-based 4G network will be a far more attractive financial proposition than spending £billions on laying fibre in the ground?
Let's be honest whether you get 50Mbps, 75Mbps or 100Mbps may well be inconsequential - even when it comes to HD streaming - with the likely advances in compression technology over the next few years.
Labels: industry insight, network coverage
3's mobile broadband disrupted
3 Mobile wrote to customers this week to inform them of major disruptions to its mobile broadband service in certain areas. 3 apologised in writing and informed customers it is attempting to rectify the problem. 3 expects the problem to be temporary and explained it in terms of the network infrastructure improvements that are underway.
Mobile broadband customers have been offered two months' free rental for their troubles.
Labels: 3-Mobile, network coverage, quick-news
Ambitious plans for Europe-wide mobile broadband
SiliconeRepublic reports...
A high-potential technology start-up has submitted an ambitious proposal to the European Union that will provide universal
mobile broadband and mobile TV in all 27 member states.
Solaris Mobile, which is headed by former Kingston Communications CEO Steve Maine, is currently in the process of establishing its European headquarters in Dublin where it plans to employ 50 people.
The company is investing €130m in establishing a two-way communications global network for satellite communications.
Solaris Mobile, a Eutelsat and SES Astra joint venture, was established earlier this year to develop next-generation mobile TV services via satellite. The company's services will be aimed at broadcasters, telecoms operators, the automotives industry and data communications providers.
The company has submitted an application to the European Commission in response to a call for applications for pan-European systems providing mobile satellite services.
The aim of Solaris is to create the infrastructure to enable deployment of a fully-fledged TV experience on mobile devices on an 'anytime, anywhere' basis. The key difference with this venture is to allow satellite infrastructure to complement or even compete with existing terrestrial networks for the provision of broadcasting services to mobile devices.
Read the full story here.
Labels: industry insight, mobile broadband, network coverage
T-Mobile to shut down 5k base stations
UK mobile operator,
T-Mobile is reported to be planning a shut-down of some 5,000 of its base stations as part of its network sharing deal with Hutchison 3G UK. The UK trade magazine, Mobile Today said that both networks are removing transmitters as they begin to share resources.
It is believed that a small amount of new sites will be built as they take 3G into areas where there hadn't been coverage before.
Although masts and the 3G access networks are being combined, each company's core network and T-Mobile’s 2G network will not be shared. Both parties will retain responsibility for the delivery of services to their respective customers and use their own frequency spectrum. Nokia Siemens Networks' radio access solution will replace most of the two operators' communications stations across the UK and equipment at the remaining sites is being upgraded and reconfigured.
Mobile Broadband Network (MBNL), the network collaboration joint-venture between T-Mobile UK and Hutchison 3G UK, recently selected Nokia Siemens Networks as the technology partner for their 3G network integration.
The combination of new kit and shares infrastructure should allow a reduction the number of sites in the network by about 30 percent. Together with the lower future capital expenditure requirement, the companies have estimated that combined savings are estimated at £2 billion (US$4.1 billion) over 10 years.
In February last year,
Vodafone and
Orange agreed to to share their respective 3G Radio Access Networks (RANs), with a possibility of sharing the GSM RAN as well in the future.
Labels: industry insight, network coverage, T-Mobile
Mobile broadband out-connects Wi-Fi
Almost half of U.K. users accessing the Internet away from home or work prefer
mobile broadband networks, according to a survey by
Point Topic. Last year Wi-Fi hotspots held the lead.
Forty-seven percent of surveyed users now choose mobile networks to access the Internet, compared to 42 percent who still use Wi-Fi hotspots. A year earlier the ratio was 40 percent to 30 percent in favor of Wi-Fi, according to Point Topic.
The combination of heavy marketing and lower costs has worked in favour of
mobile broadband, according to Oliver Johnson, CEO at Point Topic.
He sees the operator price war continuing, with lower monthly rates, and a growing market share for mobile networks as a result. "In 12 to 24 months I think we'll see a 60:40 split," said Johnson.
There is more good news for mobile operators. Only about 10 percent of surveyed users plan to switch operator in the next six months, although that may in part be explained by long contracts that often are required for subscribers.
But the low churn is not true for everyone. Vodafone and Orange have greater customer turnover than competitors.
The survey also shows that 26 percent of the mobile network users are with
O2.
Orange and
Vodafone each take about 20 percent of the market. They are followed by
T-Mobile and
3 Mobile, at 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
If Wi-Fi operators want to see their share grow they have to work on building better and more well-known brands, according to Johnson. More consolidation would also be good for the market, he said.
But in the end accessing the Internet via mobile networks or Wi-Fi hotspots might be a moot point, as the two technologies finally converge, with mobile broadband users defaulting to Wi-Fi where it's available. "Operators just want users to stay on their network," said Johnson.
Labels: industry insight, mobile broadband, network coverage
O2 goes underground
O2 is to become the first to enable mobile phones on the Glasgow Subway underground railway network.
O2 will also be the first mobile phone operator in the UK to utilise a multi-user distributed antenna system which enables mobile phones to work underground.
The Glasgow Subway is the world's third oldest underground railway, after the London Underground and the Istanbul Tünel.
The contract, negotiated with transmission provider
Arqiva and
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), will see
O2 services installed in five of Glasgow’s busiest Subway stations - Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and Partick. The installation will go 'live' in December 2008 and could potentially provide a benchmark for rollout in other underground stations such as London, in future.
Although initially limited to platforms and station concourses in the Glasgow Subway, the technology installed by Arqiva could eventually be used to provide coverage around the rest of the SPT underground network.
The service will work for both GSM and 3G phones and so will enable the use of
mobile broadband.
Gordon Maclennan, Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport said it was great news: "This has been sometime in the planning but I’m delighted that we can offer this service to our passengers in time for Christmas. It’s a first for Glasgow and it opens the door for wider [mobile] coverage in the Underground in future. Accessibility and connectivity are key parts of our continuous Subway modernisation programme."
Labels: industry insight, network coverage, o2
T-Mobile opens largest Wi-Fi hotspot in Heathrow's Terminal 5
T-Mobile UK has launched its largest Wi-Fi hotpsot covering the interior of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The new Heathrow Terminal 5 Wi-Fi HotSpot is T-Mobile's largest in the UK, spanning the equivalent of approximately 50 football pitches. The Wi-Fi service is also available through T-Mobile at the other Heathrow Terminals.
For those passengers who are not customers of T-Mobile or other participating providers, the Terminal 5 HotSpot service is priced at £5 for one hour's access, or £10 for 24 hours, payable by credit card. There is also a monthly subscription service for regular users at £20 per month.
"T-Mobile is committed to meet the increasing demand for people on the move to be able to connect to the internet when and where they need to – whether for business or pleasure," comments Richard Warmsley, Head of Internet on the Move, T-Mobile UK. "One in four new contract customers are signing up for our
mobile broadband service and user numbers are set to quadruple in 2008. It's clear this trend is set to continue and customers now expect to be able to hook up to the internet anywhere and at any time, particularly at major transport hubs like Terminal 5."
Don't forget, Wi-Fi hotspot access is included with all
T-Mobile mobile broadband deals.
Labels: mobile broadband, network coverage, roaming, T-Mobile
Vodafone trials super-fast mobile broadband in Reading
Vodafone will be piloting its new mobile broadband service in Reading, Berkshire.
The new service, already available in parts of London and at major airports, can achieve broadband speeds comparable to those of a fixed-line connection. According to Vodafone, the new service brings customers download speeds of up to 14 times faster and upload speeds up to 22 times faster than a standard
3G mobile broadband connection.
Alec Howard, head of PC connectivity at Vodafone UK, said: "As we invest significantly in rolling out improved speed and capacity, mobile broadband can not only help grease the wheels of industry in Reading but is also ideal for students and new home owners."
Labels: industry insight, mobile broadband, network coverage, Vodafone
How to use and share mobile broadband at home
Many people have already invested in a monthly contract for 3G mobile broadband at home or on the road, but the question is how to share that connection?
Typically, home users will need to share an internet connection between more than one PC. The good news is that this is entirely possible with 3G mobile broadband. Many home users are even considering ditching traditional fixed-line broadband altogether, however they require a robust system to share their 3G at home. In fact, for some in remote areas out of range of fixed-line ADSL service, 3G mobile broadband may be the only option if they want broadband.
So, what do you need to share a 3G mobile broadband connection? Well, in simple terms, all you need is a router - but one that can accept a 3G dongle instead of (or in addition to) a wired connection to the fixed-line ADSL service. 3G mobile broadband routers enable you to share your mobile broadband at home, or even to create your own portable hot spot while travelling, at shows, exhibitions, field trips etc.
One such router is the
Billion BiPAC 7402GXL. Priced at a reasonable £88 incl VAT RRP, the Billion BiPAC 7402GXL is compatible with Vodafone, T-Mobile, 3, Orange, O2 (dongle not included) - you can
check compatibility with your dongle here. Billion have led the market in the development and release of 3G routers and their UK MD Edward Kung has said: "[A 3G router] is the ideal product for the latest boom in 3G broadband – and Billion is enabling consumers to maximise their connection easily and flexibly. The BiPAC 7402GXL is a very useful gadget for home and business users at an unbeatable price!"
Basic setup is relatively straightforward; simply plug your 3G mobile broadband dongle into the USB port on the back of the router, connect you PC (either via and ethernet cable or wirelessly), check the router configuration and that's it; 3G mobile broadband available to your entire suite of PC's.
A word of caution though; just remember your data limit. It is obviously far more difficult to keep an accurate monitor of your data usage if your kids, granny or anyone else in the family has unfettered access. A couple of films downloaded or an episode of Eastenders on the iPlayer will quickly devour your allowance. Use our
broadband usage calculator to get an idea of how much data you might need.
Update:3 Mobile now offer
this mobile broadband router designed specifically for sharing 3 Mobile mobile broadband from a single dongle.
Labels: information, laptop, mobile broadband, network coverage
Vodafone upgrades 3G network in Manchester
Vodafone has announced a major upgrade to its
fast mobile broadband coverage in the city.
A multi-million pound investment will upgrade Vodafone's wireless coverage to speeds reaching 5Gbps, and will offer a simplified billing structure to customers.
The service will be available through USB modems, data cards or plug-and-play software and aims to be up to 10 seconds faster when downloading a 2 MB file.
Alec Howard, head of PC Connectivity for Vodafone UK said "Manchester, along with five other major conurbations, is now the fastest network in UK. We have been heavily investing in the network so that when people are out and about they can get the same wireless experience that they do in the office."
Labels: mobile broadband, network coverage, Vodafone
Orange improves network up North
Orange announced today that it will be carrying out improvement work on its 3G network across Scotland, Northern Ireland and North-East England in a hope to make the service faster and more reliable.
The enhance network in these areas should mean that 3G customers are able to make use of a 99 percent call set-up success rate on mobile phones. It is hoped that a faster variant of its
3G/
HSDPA service that will support mobile broadband will also be launched in the near future.
Speaking about the new improvement scheme, Peter Marsden, vice president of IT & Networks at Orange, commented: "A robust and reliable network is at the heart of everything we do at Orange and we are dedicated to ensuring our customers in each and every region of the UK feel the benefit of this." He added: "We are investing heavily to improve our network and this investment is one step closer to our goal of becoming the best UK network for coverage and reliability by 2009."
Orange will be installing over 450 new 2G and 3G sites over the next twelve months to ensure customers can make calls, send texts and access mobile broadband services with a better success rate.
Find out more about Orange mobile broadband
here...
Labels: mobile broadband, network coverage, Orange
