Posts Tagged mobile broadband news
Opposition hits out at Government over 4G auction delays
Posted by Jeremy in Latest Broadband News on January 17, 2012
A prominent Labour party member has blamed the Government for delays regarding the auctioning of 4G mobile spectrum bandwidth, arguing that as a result, the UK economy is losing in excess of one million pounds every day. The Shadow Minister for Media, Helen Goodman, believes that the Government is not pressuring telecoms industry regulator Ofcom to finalise conditions of the auction process enough. She also alleges the ongoing delays have already cost the economy millions of pounds and the figure is only set to increase until the auction takes place.
The 4G auction is expected to raise between two and four billion pounds for the Government, with an added three-hundred million pounds per year in licensing fees. Following consultation with mobile network operators, Ofcom is set to finalise the conditions the auction will take place under and announce a date for it to take place later in the year. This means that 4G services will not be available until the final quarter of 2013, at the earliest, with some industry commentators fearing networks may not be operational before 2015.
“The auction could have taken place in 2010 but this government decided not to give Ofcom the backup to go ahead with the sale of 4G. Consumers need better mobile coverage, particularly in rural areas, and it is disappointing that it has taken the government 18 months to get on with the auction.” Goodman said.
She added: “At a time of deep cuts to the public sector, the government is in effect losing almost £1m in revenue a day. We will be one of the last major countries in Europe to get 4G coverage, which is shameful because Britain is one of the largest producers of mobile phone technology in the world.”
The possibility of auctioning off bandwidth on the 4G spectrum was investigated in 2009, but the standards for 4G had not been finalised then. Ofcom has since blamed issues getting the UK aligned with European networks and the slow rate the digital TV switchover has taken place at for delays arranging the auction.
Government asks mobile providers to advise on ‘not-spots’
Posted by Jeremy in Latest Broadband News on January 16, 2012
The UK government has called for mobile network operators to identify areas that currently do not receive any mobile signal, known as ‘not-spots’ and provide advice on how they could be irradicated.
The government has set aside £150 million of public money for this purpose and mobile phone network and mobile broadband providers are being asked to provide their views on how the money should be spent to help improve the mobile coverage available in the UK.
At present there is a woeful lack of investment in rural fixed-line and mobile broadband services. A simple search of Orange broadband reviews, for example, brings up results that show connectivity in rural areas is poor, if not non-existent. In October 2011, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the money would be spent on improving mobile services for the almost ten percent of businesses and consumers in the UK that currently have little or no mobile coverage in their local area. While the funds will primarily be used to improve the 2G network, which covers voice calls and text messaging services, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have stated that it will try to make sure that any improved infrastructure built will be suitable for upgrade in order to allow 4G mobile broadband networks to be implemented at a later date.
The auctioning of 4G mobile bandwidth is set to take place in late 2012, with industry regulator Ofcom overseeing proceedings. It is believed that mobile operators will start rolling out 4G services in late 2013.
Communications Minister Ed Vaizey has sent out a document to mobile network operators, asking for their views on the location of the UK’s mobile signal ‘not-spots’ and how to go about providing residents of these areas with sufficient coverage. He has given operators thirty days to respond so the government can start the process in Spring 2012, which should mean consumers could start benefitting from improved services as early as next year.
Local authorities will be asked for their views in a document due for publication shortly.
Dell announces pre-installed mobile broadband partnership
Posted by Jeremy in Latest Broadband News on January 14, 2012
Dell has announced that they have struck a partnership with mobile provider Three and manufacturer of ‘white label’ broadband connectivity devices Macheen that will see pre-installed broadband services available on its laptops and tablet computer devices.
Macheen, a company based in Texas in the USA, will manufacture and provide the relevant technology, while Three will provide the network for the technology to operate on and all three companies will split the revenue that the venture generates. The deal will give those who purchase a tablet or laptop featuring the technology to simply sign up to a mobile broadband tariff that Three offers in order to access mobile broadband services. No need to plug a dongle into a USB port, or wait for their service to go live.
The agreement reached with Dell is the first Macheen has come to since it launched its unbranded mobile broadband software. President and CEO of Macheen Inc., Richard Schwartz said: “Device makers are looking to turn lower-margin hardware into constant customer connections-without the heavy lifting,” adding: “That transition begins with simple, seamless connections to the cloud, followed by on-going offers of new content and services. We are seeing a significant improvement in both the purchase and connection rates for device makers who build in connectivity into their devices.”
As it is the first deal of its kind, the companies involved hope it will provide a new revenue stream and pave the way for more deals between mobile broadband providers and computer manufacturers. Macheen is already in talks with other computer companies and mobile broadband providers in other countries.
However, industry commentators are unsure whether consumers will embrace this white label service or prefer to seek out mobile broadband coverage themselves. Mobile providers and computer manufacturers will be watching Dell’s sales figures closely once the products containing the technology are launched.