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LTE iPhone could revolutionize UK mobile market
The Verge is reporting that today's a big day in the UK mobile market. The UK regulator of telecommunications, Ofcom, granted approval for carrier Everything Everywhere to roll out 4G LTE service in the UK on its 1800 MHz spectrum before the official 4G auction that is expected next year. Everything Everywhere is a joint venture of T-Mobile and Orange, and they're now free to offer LTE to UK customers beginning on September 11. While competitors Vodafone, O2 and Three are not very happy about this, there's a possible scenario that probably scares the heck out of those three carriers: what if Apple announces the next generation iPhone on September 12 as planned, and it supports 1800 MHz LTE? That would give Everything Everywhere an exclusive lock on LTE iPhone service in the UK. For the rest of the carriers, there's a wait until early 2013 for the spectrum auction to happen, with actual implementation by the others expected no earlier than the third quarter of 2013. Does that give Everything Everywhere an unfair advantage? In the opinion of Ofcom, EE would have an advantage, but it's better to have some sort of 4G service in the UK as soon as possible. An 1800 MHz LTE iPhone would, however, give Everything Everywhere a killer advantage for at least a year. September 11 and 12, should be very interesting days in the UK for fans of 4G and iPhones.
Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere's early 4G plans, starting next month (update)
While Brits still languish at the back of the queue for LTE, there is at least a sliver of hope that regulator Ofcom is moving forward with plans for 4G provision. It's announced today that carrier Everything Everywhere (the combined network of Orange and T-Mobile) will be allowed to use its 1800 MHz spectrum to push out next-generation phone services. Ofcom decided that the change to the UK network's license would deliver "significant benefits to consumers, and that there is no material risk that those benefits will be outweighed by a distortion of competition." Auctions for additional 800 and 2.6 GHz bands are still on track to happen later this year, aiming for a roll-out through 2013. Everything Everywhere will be allowed to use LTE and (bizarrely) WiMAX starting 11 September 2012, although this may not be the launch date for any commercial service -- which could be unfortunate. The UK's comms regulator goes into the specifics after the break. Update: Vodafone UK has issued a statement regarding the decision (hint: it's not happy), which can be read in full after the break.
Yet another Ofcom report promises UK LTE spectrum sale within five months, rollout in mid-2013
The long wait for LTE in the UK has already brought new levels of cynicism to a once earnest and optimistic nation, but now, finally, Ofcom has set itself a deadline for auctioning off the prized 4G spectrum to telecoms companies. In a major report published today, it declared that the sale is "set to get underway by the end of 2012" and will be "80 percent bigger" than the last spectrum-grab of this type -- the £22 billion flogging of 3G back in 2000. Bidding should be completed by early 2013, so long as at least four wholesalers show interest, and then the rollout itself should begin in the middle of that blessed year. The regulator also promised that 4G mobile broadband will reach 98 percent of people in "villages, towns and cities" across the UK. Unless, of course, it gets sued by operators before the process even starts.
Ofcom: Texting is more popular than talking
Ofcom's annual report into the communications habits of Britons has revealed that it's not just geeks who stare in annoyance when the phone rings. The general consumer is now abandoning voice calls is favor of texting in a big way, making five percent fewer calls than they did the previous year. The numbers also showed that on average, people send 50 texts a week, smartphone ownership was up 12 percent and tablet purchasing shot from 2 to 11 percent in a single year. The trend isn't slowing, either, given that a whopping 96 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds prefer SMS and Facebook to talking -- giving us hope that we'll soon be spared having to listen to that guy's conversation during our morning commute.
UK pins the slow move to LTE on carriers, Australia targets auctions for April 2013
Aussies and Brits have been waiting awhile for either a truly broad LTE launch or to get any LTE at all. That wait is coming to an end, but not without some grousing. UK Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey has alleged that any slow movement stemmed from carriers that have "threatened to sue" regulator Ofcom if it's too hasty and does something they frown upon. Needless to say, that remark has ruffled a few feathers: one of the earliest expected British LTE providers, Everything Everywhere, tells Pocket-lint it has "no appetite" to take Ofcom to court and drag 4G deployments through the mud. Things are going a little more smoothly in Australia, if on a later timetable. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, now expects Australia to auction off 700MHz and 2.5GHz wireless frequencies in April 2013. That could lead to a very long wait for wider 4G service in the country, but at least the 700MHz support will be good news for device makers that don't want to be mired in disputes over LTE devices they've brought over from the US.
Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes
If you live in the UK and a 4G wireless tower is going up right next to your house, you might want to hold off on the excitement. LTE networks occupying the 800MHz spectrum could cause some serious interference (sound familiar?), capable of knocking out around two million households' free terrestrial TV channels. An independent company has been set up to lessen the effects of the wayward waves and is installing government-subsidized filters in residences across the country. But even its valiant efforts could leave up to 8,500 homes without Freeview, as non-traditional antenna setups aren't covered by the public fund. Meanwhile, eager Brits continue to patiently line up for some kind of semblance of a 4G network.
Ofcom delays decision on Everything Everywhere's 4G proposal
UKers hoping for a hasty rollout of Everything Everywhere's 4G LTE network are apt to be sorely disappointed, as regulation entity Ofcom has shoved back the final decision on its proposal. We're told that the ruling will be moved from April 17th to May 8th, with the decision made to give stakeholders more time to respond. With the additional weeks, folks like O2 and Vodafone are expected to voice their own thoughts (read: objections) on the matter, likely pointing out that its proposal would give Everything Everywhere the lion's share of spectrum in the 1,800MHz range. For now, we'll have to wait and see what kind of rebuttals are cooked up, and if history is any guide, we're guessing one or two more delays will be making themselves known before we get a definite answer one way or the other.
Ofcom releases 2012/13 plan: no UK 4G until you've eaten your vegetables
UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has released its draft plans for 2012/13 with big changes ahead for nerds on this side of the Atlantic. The auctioning off of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrums for 4G internet is coming as soon as the British FCC has booted off the remaining TV services that still use 'em. It's gonna open an online complaints site (for when the Saturday evening show of your choice offends you), crack down on slow broadband speeds and keep the airways clear for the Olympic Games. Nearly 16 percent of Scotland and five percent of Wales has non-existent mobile coverage, something Ofcom's pledging to fix. TV-on-demand content also better keep its nose clean over the next 18 months -- it'll be getting the same level of government scrutiny that standard broadcasts receive. Rather wisely, the paper buries the real bad news: it looks like there won't be nationwide 4G mobile internet until 2015 -- so you win this round, America.
UK 4G network auction delayed, spectrum sell-off pushed back to the end of 2012
The dizzying world of 4G speeds remains a distant prospect for Britons, with telecoms regulator Ofcom deciding to delay the auction for the next generation of mobile spectrum. It was looking to sell off two potent bands of wireless network by the end of this year, but those plans have been put on hold by some legal jostling and desk-banging from UK carriers, with the British equivalent of the FCC saying it received several "substantial and strongly argued responses." The sell-off delay might not affect any launch dates for 4G (already being tested in rural parts of the UK), as the bands up for grabs still won't be available until 2013. But eventually all of this to-ing and fro-ing will test even the Brits' stoic patience.
UK plans White Space mobile internet by 2013, while analog TV gently weeps
As if there weren't enough reasons to move to Britain. Free from the wrangling that has dogged things in the States, Ofcom has released plans to make the UK the first country in Europe to implement white space mobile internet. For the unaware, white space is the general term for unused but allocated spectrum, in this case it's frequencies normally reserved for analog TV. White space offers vastly increased range, speed and signals that penetrate areas where 3G fears to tread. There are already trials taking place to try to connect the remote Scottish Isle of Bute and Ofcom is aiming to have things rolled out nationally by 2013. Brits clinging to their old-school FM radios be warned, Ofcom is coming after those frequencies next.
UK rural areas get better coverage from older 2G phones
UK regulator Ofcom says that those in rural areas of the United Kingdom are better off sticking with older 2G feature/entry-level phones instead of newer smartphones like Apple's iPhone and Android-powered phones. The reason is that while newer smartphones offer greater features, the older 2G phones have better voice connectivity in rural areas. This is likely the result of less complex cellular radios that connect only on 2G and don't have to switch between 2G and 3G signals. Looks like those original iPhones laying around suddenly got a little more useful for those who live or travel in rural areas. [Via IT Pro Portal]
iPhone preferred by adults, BlackBerry by teens in the UK
A recent Ofcom survey suggests the iPhone is the favorite handset among adults in the UK, while the BlackBerry is preferred by teens. Almost one in three (32%) UK adults with a smartphone rock an iPhone and 37% of teens carry a BlackBerry. The survey of 2,073 adults and 521 teenagers doesn't address the reason why teens prefer a BlackBerry, but it likely has to do with the lower price of the handset and the ease of texting associated with a full, physical QWERTY keyboard. Apparently, both teens and adults with a smartphone love to use their handset. About 37% of adults and a whopping 60% of teenagers claim they are "addicted" to their smartphone. [Via BBC]
UK 4G spectrum set to be auctioned off next year
Ofcom, the UK version of the FCC, is currently sitting on two fat bands of prime 4G spectrum, at 800MHz and 2.6GHz, but it won't be doing so for long. This morning has seen an announcement from the independent regulator that it's looking to sell off those airwaves to the highest bidder, as early as 2012, pending the conclusion of a consultation on how to ensure the auction helps promote, rather than stifle, competition. The 800MHz band comes directly from spectrum freed up by the country's transition to digital television, and together with the 2.6GHz is equivalent to three quarters of all the mobile spectrum the UK uses today. The usual suspects of O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere will be vying for prime position in the next wave of superspeedy internet ... we just wonder how 3G-centric network Three will react to the news. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Shocker! UK regulator finds average broadband speeds are 'less than half' those advertised
You don't have to go to the lengths of compiling a statistical project to know that advertised and actual broadband speeds are two pretty disparate entities, but it does help. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, recently took a thorough look at 11 broadband packages, which collectively account for over 90 percent of all British broadband subscriptions, and found that actual download throughput was less than half (only 45 percent) of the advertised "up to" speed. The worst offenders were resellers of BT's ADSL lines, with Orange dipping below 3Mbit on its 8Mbit lines and TalkTalk occasionally offering only 7.5Mbit to users paying for a 24Mbit connection, while Virgin's cable connectivity won out by sticking most loyally to its listed rating. What Ofcom proposes for the future is that all these service providers start offering Typical Speed Ranges that more accurately reflect the bandwidth a potential subscriber would be buying into -- a proposal that might actually have some teeth as the British Advertising Standards Authority is currently in the midst of a review specifically concerned with broadband advertising practices. Transparency in the way we're sold broadband? That'd make a welcome change!
Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out
So the UK is finally catching up with the fine money-grubbing nations of this world and allowing product placement in British-made TV programming, starting from next Monday, February 28th. Advertising embedded in internationally sourced films and shows has long been tolerated as a necessary evil within the Queen's realm, but now that the telecoms regulator Ofcom is opening up locally farmed TV content to the blight of commercialization, it's come up with a suitably austere logo to warn us of its dangers. Basically, any future episodes of Hollyoaks that may contain a "stray" Diet Coke or Nokia N8 within the frame will be preceded by the above P placed within a P, which will prep you for the pernicious potentiality that the programming you are perusing may provoke you into purchasing new property. Capiche?
UK temporarily giving LTE spectrum to cameras for 2012 Olympics, tells carriers not to worry about it
You might recall that British regulator Ofcom recently got things in order for an auction late next year of Old Blighty's 2.6GHz spectrum for 4G use, but it turns out that spectrum's going to make a quick pit stop before reaching its final destination. Broadcasters at the London Olympics have been given the green light to use the bandwidth -- which will have already been sold by the time the games kick off in mid-2012 -- for wireless cameras, with the government saying it's fairly certain that carriers wouldn't have had an opportunity to deploy LTE in that spectrum by then anyway. Though Ofcom's original spectrum utilization plan from last year didn't call for using 2.6GHz, it apparently got a wake-up call from the Vancouver games, which revealed higher demand for both wireless cameras and 3D broadcasts than the agency had anticipated -- and unlike carriers, which are expected to pay billions of pounds sterling for LTE rights, Ofcom will be extending use of the bandwidth to broadcasters during the Games gratis. Awfully kind of them, isn't it?
Report: UK couch potatoes switch to HD in growing numbers
According to Ofcom's latest Communications Market Report, 24 million HDTV sets were sold in the UK over the past 12 months, meaning about 20 percent of the population took home a new box in the past year. Yet despite watching nearly four hours of "telly" a day in 2009, in first 3 months of 2010, nearly a third of all households with internet access used on-demand catch-up services like the BBC's iPlayer, which represents an 8 percent growth over the same period last year. This data isn't all that surprising though considering the how much HD content has been made available in the UK over the last few years through free options such as Freeview HD, or premium services like Sky HD or Virgin Media. It's also still far behind US HDTV penetration, which stood at 33 percent back in 2009 and saw 5.5 million HDTVs sold during the 2008 / 2009 holiday season alone. That fact shouldn't stop electronics manufacturers from diving Scrooge McDuck style into their newly acquired money bags, or prevent newly minted British HD households from marveling at how ugly Jeremy Clarkson is in 1080p.
UK prepping 4G spectrum auction for late next year
The wireless spectrum crunch isn't a uniquely American phenomenon; with smartphones now infecting most of the developed world, everyone's dealing with the very same limitations of physics, and the UK looks finally lined up for a late-2010 auction of two key slices of airwaves after wrestling with some bureaucratic garbage for the past year. Specifically, the 800MHz and 2600MHz bands are at play here, the former having come from the country's transition to digital TV; both will serve distinctly different roles, with 800MHz being better for building penetration and rural coverage and 2600MHz suiting urban areas better. Sadly, it means that we're moving even further away from global spectrum harmony, seeing how the US is using 700MHz and 2500MHz for 4G services so far -- so don't expect a single handset SKU capable of handling LTE anywhere in the world any time soon.
Panasonic pries open room for WirelessHD availability in the UK
Panasonic has cleared a path for its WirelessHD equipped HDTV to launch in the UK now that Ofcom has opened up the necessary radio spectrum for use by all manufacturers. As it stood, manufacturers needed to get permission to use any part of the wireless spectrum, but now anyone should be able to use the 57-66GHz range. Expect the 54-inch version of Panasonic's wireless set to run around £5,000 when it becomes available in a few weeks, with other wireless TVs from LG and other coming later in the year.[Via Stuff]
International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Doei!Read - Cabovisâo wants 20 HD channels (Portugal) Read - NGCI Boosts Offerings on SKY Deutschland Read - Ofcom sets out Olympic spectrum plan Read - BBC comedy shows return in high definition: Mitchell & Webb, Michael McIntyre Read - Premiere Germany relaunching July 4 (Thanks, Chris)
