NTT DoCoMo provides 3G/4G indoor coverage with dual-mode femtocells
NTT DoCoMo has announced that it will launch the world’s first combined HSDPA/LTE femtocells in December 2012, to enable improved indoor coverage for both 3G and 4G mobile handsets. Shops and offices will be able to offer high quality 3G and 4G coverage and users will be able to drop back to slower HSDPA services [...]
UK spectrum auction will shape mobile industry for many years to come
The forthcoming auction of 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum, and the associated licence conditions, will have a profound impact on the mobile industry in the UK. In its latest consultation and proposals, Ofcom highlights that the auction is “likely to be the last significant opportunity to obtain prime mobile spectrum for many years” and that the [...]
UK LTE coverage to be better than 2G by 2017
As we near the UK’s long-awaited auction of 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum for next-generation mobile services, there is very good news for UK consumers in terms of expected coverage of LTE services. Ofcom has published its latest proposals for the award of 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum, and it is clear that it has moved a [...]
Good 3G news and bad 4G news for the UK mobile industry
There have been two interesting developments in the UK mobile industry this month – one definitely good news for the industry and its consumers, and one distinctly bad. Firstly, the good news! We have devoted quite a bit of attention in this blog to the poor state of 3G coverage in the UK. While having [...]
3G coverage in the UK far more patchy than operator maps suggest
In his last blog article, Alastair Brydon talked about the BBC’s launch of its mobile mapping experiment’. The BBC encouraged users of Android smartphones to download and run a specially-developed application to measure and report back mobile signal levels. Yesterday, the BBC announced initial results from its so-called ‘crowd-sourcing survey’, which unsurprisingly shows that 3G [...]
Pressure increases on UK mobile operators over coverage
Mobile coverage – whether for voice services or mobile broadband services – is one of the most important issues for many mobile customers. In the UK, while the presence of many mobile operators has helped reduce mobile pricing levels, it has failed to deliver extensive mobile coverage. In July 2011, the Communications Consumer Panel reported [...]
Extensive coverage is essential to achieve high penetration of mobile broadband
Voice revenues of mobile network operators are under intense pressure from a combination of competition and regulation. Strong growth in mobile data revenues is now essential, in order to reverse falling ARPUs. Mobile network operators must look beyond mobile messaging for this growth, since mobile messaging (particularly SMS) revenues may decline, as they face competition [...]
SK Telecom targets flawless coverage with LTE, with nationwide coverage by 2013
The momentum behind LTE is increasing, in terms of mobile network operators launching LTE services or announcing an intention to launch LTE services. However, one of my biggest fears is that operators will rush to make high-profile press announcements to say that they have launched LTE, while avoiding any commitment to invest substantially in LTE [...]
LTE operators must learn the lessons from 3G underinvestment
If LTE is to be a widespread, commercial success, mobile network operators must ensure that they focus on providing superior coverage to 2G networks within a realistic timescale. They must not make the same mistakes of network underinvestment that many operators have made with their 3G networks, however unpalatable this is to their investors. In [...]
Ofcom mobile broadband survey reveals coverage and contention issues
I welcome Ofcom’s new report, published today, which provides excellent measurement data on the state of the mobile broadband market in the UK. This type of extensive measurement programme has been long overdue. At last, the industry and consumers have access to independent data. While the results may not be a surprise to the many mobile [...]
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