Ofcom bigs up 4G capabilities ahead of auction

TOOTHLESS REGULATOR Ofcom has revealed research that claims fourth generation '4G' networks will bring capacity gains of 200 per cent for customers.

Ofcom, the regulator that oversees the UK telecom industry, has come to the conclusion that 4G networks, which it believes will be rolled out across in the UK in 2013, will offer customers 200 per cent more bandwidth than 3G networks. It said this increase will be "essential in meeting the UK's rapid increase in mobile traffic, fuelled by the growth of smartphones and mobile broadband data services such as video streaming, email, messenger services, mapping services and social networking".

Stephen Unger, Ofcom's CTO said, "The research that we commissioned indicates that early 4G mobile networks with standard configurations will be 3.3 times (230 per cent) more spectrally efficient than today's standard 3G networks. To put this in context, a user on an early 4G network will be able to download a video in around a third of the time it takes today on a 3G network. It is anticipated that this efficiency will increase to approximately 5.5 times (450 per cent) by 2020."

There's little doubt that 4G networks will significantly increase bandwidth and, more importantly, coverage, over current 3G networks if deployed correctly, but ultimately consumers should worry about how mobile operators will hobble access through usage caps and surcharges. Those who are lucky enough to get good 3G coverage can, at times, have very acceptable bandwidth, except that it is knackered by a pitiful 500MB or 1GB per month bandwidth cap.

For mobile operators, 4G networks will offer another chance to try to increase the cost of services they offer to consumers while imposing artificial limits in order to recoup money they spent to obtain 4G licences from the British Government.

It's not surprising that Ofcom is promoting the benefits of 4G, after all it will be holding the so-called 4G spectrum auction early next year. Better to start building up the hype lads, telecoms operators still remember almost bankrupting themselves to get hold of 3G licenses at the height of the dotcom boom.

This time around operators might impose some self restraint, but for customers the outcome of higher prices and crippled services is likely to be replicated. µ