Ofcom announces winners of the 4G mobile auction

After more than 50 rounds of bidding, Everything Everywhere Ltd, Hutchison 3G UK Ltd, Niche Spectrum Ventures Ltd (a subsidiary of BT Group plc), Telefónica UK Ltd and Vodafone Ltd have all won spectrum.

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UK's operators have banded to speed up 4G LTE 800 roll-out

O2, Vodafone, Everything Everywhere and Three have banded together to speed up the deployment of 4G services. Ofcom writes that the four have come together to form Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (originally called MitCo), a company that will be funded by the successful bidders for 800MHz spectrum in the forthcoming auction. If any other party acquires spectrum in the auction, they can immediately become a shareholder in DMS Ltd.

The company will be responsible for ensuring consumers continue to receive clear Freeview TV signals following the roll out of 4G mobile services in the 800 MHz spectrum band. The early creation of such a company was one of the solutions highlighted by Ofcom and the government during conversations with mobile operators about speeding up the roll-out of 4G.

read more //tomshardware.com 

Ofcom solves UK's LTE imbalance?

Ofcom has found a way to appease all parties in the U.K.'s ongoing LTE rollout row: it has formulated a plan that will see the spectrum for LTE services made available for use sooner than originally thought.

EE competitors (O2 and Vodafone) will have to wait until early next year for the auction of spectrum in the 800-MHz and 2.6-GHz bands, bands that were not due to be cleared for use until the end of 2013. But that may now have changed.

The telcos have been holding talks with the regulator and the government in a bid to resolve the problem. They reportedly agreed to take no action for a month – EE held off on the launch and threats of legal action were put on hold – a deadline that is now up.

According to the BBC, Ofcom has found a way to clear the frequencies earlier than the end of next year, thereby shortening the gap between EE's launch and the ability of its rivals to follow suit, should they acquire spectrum, of course.

In addition, there are suggestions that the regulator will attempt to bring forward the auction itself by a few weeks.  

Read more at //totaltele.com

Vodafone, O2 could launch LTE in 900 MHz band

UK regulator Ofcom has said that there is nothing stopping EE’s rivals, such as Vodafone and O2, from putting in an application to alter their 900 MHz spectrum licence for LTE usage. A ruling in early 2011 meant that all operators are now free to use their 2G spectrum for 3G services, so extension of that same ruling to encompass 4G would be a small amend.

Potentially, this means that Everything Everywhere, the firm that owns the Orange, T-Mobile and new EE brand in the UK, could have its one-year monopoly on LTE in the market cut short. Its rivals would no longer have to wait for the UK LTE auction, scheduled for early next year, to launch competing 4G services.

//telecoms.com

O2 UK to challenge EE 4G launch

O2 UK parent Telefonica has written to regulator Ofcom threatening to challenge its decision to allow rival Everything Everywhere (EE) to launch 4G services this autumn, reports The Guardian. In the letter, O2 is thought to have given notice that it intends to appeal against Ofcom's ruling at the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT), potentially delaying EE's launch. Ofcom recently gave EE permission to launch 4G/LTE using existing spectrum, enabling to launch ahead of its rivals. //mobilebusinessbriefing.com

HTC One XL to be the first 4G LTE smartphone for the UK

    

The first device to make the cut to the UK will be the HTC One XL which is currently being sold in Germany and the US (as HTC One X). And Everything Everywhere would be the first operator, which will sell it.  \\unwiredview.com

Android

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, dual-core, 1.5 GHz

~700 euro at 2012.06

3 million LTE connections projected in UK in 2 years

And about half of all 4G/LTE connections will grab Everything Everywhere.



\\gigaom.com

3UK to buy LTE1800 spectrum from EE (UK)

Following the decision announced today by UK regulator Ofcom to allow Everything Everywhere (EE) to offer LTE services in its existing 1800 MHz spectrum rom September 11, 2012, EE has revealed plans to sell part of its 1800MHz spectrum to 3UK. The sale is in line with the European Commission’s competitive assessment of the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK in March 2010, which required EE to divest 2x15 MHz of its 1800 MHz spectrum. //telecoms.com

Everything Everywhere now can refarm 1800 MHz for LTE

Ofcom approved an application made by Everything Everywhere to refarm its existing spectrum in the 1800 MHz band for 4G / LTE. Ofcom noted that varying EE's existing 1800 MHz concession would deliver "significant benefits to consumers". More of it, the regulator noting "no material risk that those benefits will be outweighted by a distortion of competition". Ofcom has confirmed that it has now issued varied licences to EE which authorise the operator to inaugurate LTE services from 11 September 2012. \\telegeography.com

Ofcom UK 4G LTE auction to take place by end of 2012

Ofcom announced today that it will host an auction of 4G LTE spectrum 'by the end of 2012'. Bids should be collected by early 2013. Regulator plan to collect about GBP40 billion.

Operators will start rollouts at the middle of 2013, active services for the customers is expected to be available by the end of 2013.

Spectrum would be available for the three biggest operators and it would be spectrum reserve for a fourth national wholesaler as well.  \knowyourmobile.com