Tech enthusiasts should make a trip to Cornwall – after all, that area currently requires volunteers to participate in the trial of a new high-speed 4G broadband connection as part of a joint project by Everything Everywhere and BT. This trial will run from September to December in South Newquay, where it will have its main focus on broadband delivering in expensive-to-reach rural areas. This is also a golden opportunity for UK customers to participate in the maiden outing of testing 4G technology, where it will roll out on a national basis by 2014.
UK networks will begin to bid for use of the 4G spectrum from early 2012 onwards, so expect more competition to heat up the 4G scene in months to come. The Cornwall trial will see Everything Everywhere (a partnership between T-Mobile and Orange) and BT being awarded part of the 800Mhz spectrum for test purposes. Currently, this spectrum is being used in the UK for analogue TV, but it is in the process of being switched off gradually.
It is hoped that more information can be gleaned from this trial, as to whether 4G LTE could offer a more affordable solution to accessing high-speed internet in places that are currently regarded as black spots with very little or slow broadband connection.
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