TelecomsTech previously reported that UK mobile operator EE has begun rolling out LTE-Advanced in London, initially as a limited trial for select businesses within the city’s “Tech City” area. Access to the enhanced network is currently limited to a small number of compatible devices available on the market.
At that time, EE and Huawei said they planned a gradual expansion of the LTE-A network across London and beyond starting in Q2 2014.
That timeframe has arrived, and both companies are moving quickly to build the infrastructure required for this next-generation network. LTE-Advanced can deliver theoretical peak download speeds of up to 300 Mbps, representing a significant leap over standard 4G.
Huawei’s internal analysis of consumer and business trends forecasts a 750% increase in data usage over the next three years. By preparing for that surge now—while some competitors are still rolling out standard 4G across parts of the country—EE positions itself with a clear competitive advantage.
Although the rollout is expected to cover London by the end of summer, there are currently no widely sold UK handsets that support the necessary Cat 6 LTE modem. The only consumer device known to support LTE-A at the time of the announcement is the Huawei E5786 MiFi, introduced at MWC 2014.
It is reasonable to expect that device makers will introduce flagship models or variants in 2014 that support LTE-A, enabling more consumers to benefit from the network’s higher speeds and capacity.
EE CEO Olaf Swantee highlights practical use cases for increased mobile data speeds: “Greater bandwidth across the network enables a new approach to outside broadcasting for media companies, where a small number of 4G SIMs can replace an entire satellite truck and the rental of a satellite connection.”
He also points to evolving media quality: “4K TV is the future, and LTE-A makes it possible to support that on a mobile network. BBC iPlayer streams at around 5 Mbps, whereas 4K video will require roughly 20 Mbps, so a consistently high average speed—supported by sufficient network capacity—is essential.”
EE’s existing 4G service, branded “4GEE,” is already live in 160 towns and cities across the UK, covering more than 70% of the population.
What do you think about EE’s London rollout of LTE-Advanced? Is this a sound investment in future infrastructure?