Sign in / up

back to article UK Broadband flicks switch on Blighty's first 4G network

UK Broadband, wireless internet service provider to Swindon Council and beyond, has switched on its LTE network to claim the UK first, but don't expect to be making 4G phone calls any time soon. UK Broadband's network is LTE, which qualifies as "4G" under the ITU's most-recent interpretation, and UK Broadband does have a …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections
This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    UK Broadband still exits?

    I thought they'd died a death along with their nearly non existent Netvigator wireless broadband service, having bought all the UK regional fixed wireless access licences in the auctions a few years back (or in post-auction back room deals). And then they just sat on them. And of course with Ofcon standing idly by as PCCW (any other names I haven't mentioned?) do nothing. A sensible regulator would have been reclaiming the licences and offering them to some of the "losing" bidders who might actually have done something with them.

    0 0
  2. JetSetJim
    Meh

    Additional scenario is that it's a slap in the face to other telco vendors

    Swindon, home of Motorola GSM Networks in Europe for 15+ years (became Motorola Solutions, then "transitioned" to NSN) - there's a 2.6GHz trial/demo LTE network installed there. I think the Moto site is now turning into a regional demo hub for NSN. Note that Moto had an outsourcing deal with Huawei that went rather sour when that bit was sold to NSN.

    Swindon, also home to some Intel WiMAX stuff - a bit dead now.

    Swindon, also home to Alcatel-Lucent mobile networks teams, some doing LTE.

    Huawei are just pissing in other vendors playground. It'll be quite ironic if the aforementioned companies use this WISP as their redundant backhaul, though.

    0 0
  3. Atonnis
    Devil

    This is good!

    Usually the first one to come out with something like this tends to end up proven to be the shittest. Now we've gotten the 'first' out of the way hopefully other (most clueless) company managers will all rush to get a better product out and before you know it the big companies will step in to try and claim all of the business for themselves...and we'll all still await a decent working network...

    ....then perhaps in 2015 we'll get the product that works at least to a half-decent degree...

    0 0
  4. Mage Silver badge

    Unless it's Fixed ...

    Nomadic / mobile / indoor / self install on 3.5GHz is rubbish. Only fixed outdoor/roof aerials makes sense.

    Google Imagine WiMax and IBB Ripwave.

    LTE doesn't fix the problem.

    http://www.radioway.info/comparewireless/

    Indoor aerials about x8 less capacity / speed than roof top fixed directional aerials.

    Really Fixed Wimax or WiDox (DOCSIS over Wireless) makes more sense at 3.5GHz. So either they are clueless or selling self install "nomadic" "windowsill" kit to save on roll out cost.

    Bad investment, bad decision.

    0 0
  5. Mage Silver badge

    Motorola Networks?

    Sold to NSN, the disastrous merge of Nokia Networks and Siemens Networks.

    0 0
This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like