EE broadband is the first 4G mobile broadband provider in the UK. The recent auctions of the 4G spectrum has seen Vodafone spend over £790 million, O2 take a significant lot, and the major providers are now working on facilitating 4G in their networks.
EE already has it going having being able to use existing technology to launch the spectrum. This first move is an advantage, a certain dividend in attracting new customers, and theres an impressive feat being achieved already.
Looking for Broadband in Cumbria
One of the biggest problems for rural areas has been getting broadband. The government has pledged to get 24MBps connections to 90% of the population and 2Mbps connections to the remaining 10%. However, this is not here yet. And in many areas its impossible to even get half a megabit connection speed. As youll see in a minute, Cumbria is going to benefit from mobile broadband that is into the double digit speeds.
Satellite Broadband Alternatives
Historically, rural areas have had to rely on satellite broadband solutions in order to achieve decent connectivity speeds. Satellite broadband has 100% coverage of the UK consumer base. Meaning, however remote you are, youre able to achieve decent speeds.
The newest satellites can achieve 10MBps speeds, which mean realistic speeds of 5 or 6Mbps to your home or business. Unfortunately, satellite broadband is expensive in both set-up and monthly charges. You tend to have to fork out £500 or more for hardware and set-up, and then contract start from around £25 per month. There tend to be significant traffic shaping policies for all satellite broadband providers and data limits on a monthly basis in around 10GB. All these add up to an expensive and limited service.
What is 3G and what is 4G?
3G connectivity was the third generation of mobile broadband. You have speeds of around 1.4Mbps and is sufficient for most browsing and some streaming activities. The broadband market has certain standards for connections to be designated 3G, 4G, or even Edge. These standards include measures of speed, reliability, and latency.
4G has taken over from 3G as the next generation of broadband connectivity on phones and tablets. If you have a mobile broadband dongle, 4G will also be the solution for you for the future. 4G has theoretical speeds of 14.4Mbps which is incredibly fast for a broadband solution, 10 times that of 3G.
The 4G Spectrum Auction
Part of the auction of the 4G spectrum that was recently completed meant that operators are held to certain service standards in the lots of the spectrum they have successfully purchased. One of the measures is that they have to achieve coverage of a certain amount of the UK population in different lots. O2 for example has to achieve 98% UK coverage. This is great news for rural areas who have really struggled to get broadband in the past.
EEs 4G Rules Cambria Solution
If youre in Cumbria and even in the Northern Fells, youll be pleased to hear that EE has announced that they will be rolling out their 4G coverage high speed internet to homes and businesses around your area.
The area is notorious for slow fixed line broadband, but speeds of 8Mb and up to 12Mbps are coming very soon. EE have been testing 4G in Cumbria since May 2012. Rory Stewart, the MP for Penrith and Borders explains that the arrival of 4G is a major step forward for his constituents. Its going to make a massive difference to the lives and businesses of many people. Indeed, the trial has already made a difference to many peoples lives. Meaning business can operate from more remote locations and workers can gain a better work life balance working from home.
Rural Broadband Means Work at Home Opportunities
Recently the Yahoo chief executive has banned work from home. This has meant that employees from June this year are going to have to go into their offices rather than have a certain portion of their time working from the comforts of their homes without a commute. This has been much criticized by many including Richard Branson who recognizes the importance and benefits of offering flexible working conditions.
Its been a problem in the past that rural locations cannot attain the broadband sufficient for people to work from home. This has meant certain businesses have struggled to attract talent and certain locations have struggled to attract industry.
People that need to commute long distances to work really do value a day or two working from home. Many people didnt know that they could even get 3G mobile connectivity in their rural area. Many would have asked what is 3G? Now with 4G, were sure to see more and more people in Cumbria and other rural areas benefiting from the internet speed.
So how much do internet broadband plans cost?
By the summer of 2013, 84% of the Northern Fells region of Cumbria will be able to get a mobile broadband package on 4G. Plans will start from £15.99 per month and of course will be more expensive the more the data you require.
The chief executive of EE, Olaf Swantee, explained that the company is pioneering the way in providing super fast broadband to homes and communities that currently receive very poor internet connectivity.
EE 4G Broadband Coverage
What is 3G coverage provided by EE? Currently EE has over 90% 3G coverage of the UK population. 4G is available in 37% towns and cities around the country which include Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. The aim of the company is to achieve 98% coverage of the entire UK population by 2014. This is great news for rural communities and for anyone that likes getting online on their mobile phone or tablet.
When Sam Jones wondered What is 3G, a quick internet search answered his question. He then found several great deals on high speed internet connection with the help of price comparison websites such as uSwitch.
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