Culture secretary to broker 4G accord with mobile operators
BRITAIN’S mobile networks will meet tomorrow to negotiate a government-brokered ceasefire over Ofcom’s auction of 4G spectrum, as culture secretary Maria Miller draws a line under litigation that has delayed a rollout of high speed mobile internet.
The auction of 4G-approved bands of mobile airwaves is due to take place at the end of the year, but could be brought forward if O2, EE – the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile – Vodafone and Three agree to support the regulator’s proposals.
An agreement would speed up the rollout of 4G in the UK, a boost to Vodafone and O2. EE has already won approval to run a 4G network on its current band of spectrum, due to launch by the end of October, and Three bought a slice of EE’s 4G airwaves in August.