BT and Everything Everywhere trialling 4G broadband in Cornwall

Monday, October 10th 2011
The pilot scheme involves 200 residents in and around the Newquay area.
BT and Everything Everywhere trialling 4G broadband in Cornwall
BT and network operator Everything Everywhere have joined forces to trial 4G mobile broadband services in Cornwall.

First announced in May, the pilot scheme will utilise the 800MHz spectrum band to deliver wireless broadband access to around 200 residents in St Newlyn and Newquay.

Described by BT as the first live trial of 4G to customers, the test is scheduled to run until early next year and will involve 100 mobile and 100 fixed-line broadband subscribers.

The pilot scheme has already commenced and comes in the wake of laboratory trials at BT's Adastral Park facility in Suffolk.

BT and Everything Everywhere, the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile, will use the initiative to test the viability of using 4G as a "complementary solution to fixed broadband" for customers living in rural parts of the UK.

Participants in the study are able to take advantage of fast broadband services for free, in return for giving feedback on the performance of their connection.

As well as BT and Everything Everywhere, Nokia Siemens Networks, Huawei and the Cornwall Development Company have helped out in the implementation of the project.

Commenting on the initiative, chief executive of Everything Everywhere Olaf Swantee said it is essential that the UK's mobile infrastructure is able to cope with the growing demand for web access via mobile devices.

Nigel Stagg, chief executive of BT Wholesale, added: "The final ten per cent of the country is exceedingly difficult to reach with the available standard fixed-line solutions.

"Our proof of concept trial in Cornwall will test the capabilities and services that a shared fixed and mobile data network can support."

BT has committed to improving the county's broadband provision as part of the Superfast Cornwall initiative, which aims to deliver fibre optic broadband to between 80 and 90 per cent of properties in the area by the end of 2014. 

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