Ofcom has extended the deadline for those responding to its proposal for Everything Everywhere to deploy 4G early, giving the competition more time to get its retaliation in. Responses were required by 17 April, but anyone who wants to have their say can now submit comments until 8 May. The proposal is to allow EE to deploy a …

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Tuesday 27th March 2012 10:02 GMT Dr. Mouse

Simple solution

It may not be acceptable to everyone, but the simplest solution would be to allow EE to deploy 4G, but on the condition that it allowed it's competitors to use that network (at a regulated price point) until the others have the ability to deploy (with some overlap to allow them to catch up). This provides the best solution from the consumer's point of view.

Doubt it will happen, though. Common sense rarely wins.

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Tuesday 27th March 2012 10:13 GMT Hardcastle the ancient

LTE? 4G? what?

So is LTE 4G or not? - in the iPud stories El reg seemed to think not.

(big question mark icon)

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1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 11:40 GMT Gordon 10
  
  Re: LTE? 4G? what?
  
  oh FFS sake.
  
  Its not hard LTE (and WiMax) are the only True Approved 4G technologies.
  
  Everything else is 3G+ at best.
  
  The new IPAD has an LTE chipset and where both the technology and the frequency is supported it will work.
  
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  1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 11:56 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    Re: LTE? 4G? what?
    
    Actually LTE is not true approved 4G, only LTE Advanced satisfies the original criteria for 4G.
    
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    1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 14:39 GMT Hardcastle the ancient
      
      Re: LTE? 4G? what?
      
      It is confusing after all, then?
      
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      1. Wednesday 28th March 2012 10:24 GMT JetSetJim
        
        Re: LTE? 4G? what?
        
        The original goalposts have been moved to match the marketing machines of Big Telco
        
        http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2010/48.aspx
        
        "As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as “4G”, although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed."
        
        i.e. the ITU now regard HSPA+, LTE & WiMax as 4G, rather than limiting it to LTEAdvanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced as previously.
        
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Tuesday 27th March 2012 11:01 GMT Anonymous Coward

I don't see a point to EE's premature LTEculation since it relies on a frequency and system (1800Mhz FD-LTE) that is only deployed in Australia and Lithuania.

AFAIK only HTC has phones for it, and even then only two: one WP7 and one Android.

Why not just wait a few months until we can actually use the right frequencies already deployed in much larger neighbouring markets, instead of confusing punters with mobiles and a system that works differently from next year's networks.

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1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 11:38 GMT IHateWearingATie
  
  This isn't about handsets for EE...
  
  ... I reckon this is about dongles and MiFi gadgets. They'll steal a march on the dongle market and then add in 800Mhz LTE for handsets later. The corproate market is a big one, so I suspect they are betting that having LTE dongles available as part of the corporate package will swing a few contracts their way from Vodafone.
  
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  1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 12:08 GMT Andy 97
    
    Re: This isn't about handsets for EE...
    
    I doubt EE having 4G will mean corporates will run from their existing provider.
    
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Tuesday 27th March 2012 15:37 GMT Anonymous Coward

Whinge and Whine by Voda / O2

What is the difference using your 2G spectrum for 3G -vs- using your 2G Spectrum for 4G?

EE didn't complain when O2 and Voda used existing 2G spectrum for 3G giving them a massive advantage coveragewise (especially inbuilding) over the rest of the operators

Voda and O2 jump with joy when they screw the other operators, but when its the other way round Voda and O2 cry loudly and have tantrums

None of this is helping. The UK will be the last in the world to get LTE if this crap carries on

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1. Tuesday 27th March 2012 22:08 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  Re: Whinge and Whine by Voda / O2. Pots/Kettles/Black things!!!
  
  ""EE didn't complain when O2 and Voda used existing 2G spectrum for 3G giving them a massive advantage coveragewise (especially inbuilding) over the rest of the operators""
  
  Erm, I think that you'll find that they did, and quite vocally too, completely contrary to their tone today! Cake and eat it springs to mind, as they responded that they felt that the 1800 should be refarmed by the holders (i.e. themselves) but that:
  
  ""Orange supports Ofcom’s view that the there should be a partial mandatory release of 900 MHz spectrum from the incumbent 900 MHz holders to Ofcom""
  
  and
  
  "In summary, T-Mobile supports:· 3 blocks of 900MHz spectrum being re-assigned in 2010 either by an auction or a beauty contest ....... the existing 900 MHz operators should also be restricted from refarming their spectrum prior to the spectrum reassignment".
  
  More importantly, EE have to give up 15MHz/25% of their 1800 spectrum as a European Commision condition of their merger. Tellingly the reason for this is **specifically** so that EE could not steal a march on the competition on LTE!
  
  After going ahead with the merger, EE have already said 'Aw please can we not give up the spectrum, or at least make it only 10MHz' so spare us the bleeding heart routine. If they follow thier own 'advice' to OfCom then they must be prevented from re-farming 1800 before they have to give it up next year.
  
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Tuesday 27th March 2012 15:57 GMT Anonymous Coward

I was thinking tihs might be a rather shrewd move on ofcom's part.

Everybody in the 4g auction has an interest in stalling it as long as possible - delaying the time when they have to invest huge amounts in infrastructure to support it while simultaneously preventing any competitors from lauching it before they do.

If EE were suddenly able to go ahead with 4g regardless of the auction then everybody else would either have to fall in line and let the auction happen as quickly as possible or face losing large chunks of market share to EE as 'the only UK 4g network'.

(I'm probably missing something important as to why this is probably not what's going on, but anyway)

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