James Walsh, Senior Associate, Telecoms Team and
Charlotte Walker-Osborn Head of TMT Sector
What? Concerns Were Raised In March Of This Year That The 4G Auction Might Be Delayed
So What? Concerns Were Raised In March Of This Year That The 4G Auction Might Be Delayed. Ofcom Announced That It Intended To Ensure That At Least Four Mobile Operators Would Be Able To Provide LTE (Long Term Evolution) Services In The UK. To Achieve This It Introduced Minimum Spectrum Floors, But In June Of This Year One Of The Major Network Operators Alleged That These Proposals Constitute A State Aid And Are Therefore Illegal Under European Union Law. This Issue, Combined With The High Proportion Of UK Households That Rely On Digital Terrestrial Television Which Will Need To Be Relocated Before 4G Can Be Rolled Out, Has Contributed To The Potential Delay.
The 4G Auction Is Critical To Providing Future Broadband Capacity As Consumers Demand More From Their Mobile Internet Connections. The 2.6 Ghz Spectrum Will Improve Data Services, Whilst The 800 Mhz Band Will Be Suitable For Serving Rural Communities. The 4G Spectrum Represents A Key Part Of The Government's Commitment To Provide Universal Broadband By 2015, And Significant Delays To The Auction May Impact Upon The Capability Of UK Infrastructure To Deliver On This Promise.
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