LTE Explained
With the exception of EE, until now existing mobile networks used 3G/UMTS technology, which is now 10 years old and struggling to cope with the needs of today's data hungry users.
4G/LTE (Fourth Generation / Long Term Evolution) is the next stage in mobile network development and provides users with much faster data speeds than 3G is able to.
EE has been testing the waters with 4G since October of last year, but to date they've had the market to themselves in the UK.
As while EE were able to leverage some of their existing spectrum in the 1800 MHz band, the other networks had to wait till a spectrum auction held by Ofcom in February before they could even start preparing for a 4G launch. Recently both O2 and Vodafone have launched 4G networks of their own, so EE is about to have some serious competition, while Three is set to launch its own 4G network in December too, and is set to aggressively undercut the competition in terms of price.
So here's what you need to know if you're thinking of getting your hands on one of those fancy superfast 4G handsets everyone keeps going on about these days.
What differences are there between the 4G frequency bands and why they are important?
4G can be a confusing beast, particularly when there are three different frequency bands to use in the UK alone.
2.6 GHz
The 2.6 GHz band is one of the two frequencies that were auctioned off by Ofcom in February. It has a greater data capacity than the other two bands so it can deal with loads of people connecting at once, but it doesn't fare so well over long distances, making it ideal for cities and other compact, densely populated areas but not so good for country site locations.
The 2.6 GHz band is one of the two frequencies that were auctioned off by Ofcom in February. It has a greater data capacity than the other two bands so it can deal with loads of people connecting at once, but it doesn't fare so well over long distances, making it ideal for cities and other compact, densely populated areas but not so good for country site locations.
800 MHz
The 800 MHz band is the other spectrum that was sold off in February. It was used to provide analogue terrestrial TV, but has been freed up since the big Digital switch over.
While it doesn't provide the same data capacity as the 2.6 GHz band, the 800 MHz frequency can easily travel over long distances and will be used to provide broadband speeds to the outside of the cities areas where telephone exchanges can't reach.
Being low frequency it's also better at penetrating walls than the 2.6 GHz or 1800 MHz bands, so it will provide an improved signal when indoors.
The 800 MHz band is the other spectrum that was sold off in February. It was used to provide analogue terrestrial TV, but has been freed up since the big Digital switch over.
While it doesn't provide the same data capacity as the 2.6 GHz band, the 800 MHz frequency can easily travel over long distances and will be used to provide broadband speeds to the outside of the cities areas where telephone exchanges can't reach.
Being low frequency it's also better at penetrating walls than the 2.6 GHz or 1800 MHz bands, so it will provide an improved signal when indoors.
1800 MHz
The 1800 MHz band is used by EE and once Three launches a 4G network of its own in December it will be too, thanks to purchasing a chunk of it from EE.
However, as part of the deal to get the spectrum off the brand formed from the merger of T-Mobile and Orange, Three had to agree not to launch 4G on the spectrum before October 2013, which is the main reason for it delaying its deployment until later in the year.
The 1800 MHz band strikes a balance between coverage and capacity (falling between the extremes of the 2.6 GHz and 800 MHz bands) which makes it a good 'middle-ground' for getting 4G around the country.
The 1800 MHz band is used by EE and once Three launches a 4G network of its own in December it will be too, thanks to purchasing a chunk of it from EE.
However, as part of the deal to get the spectrum off the brand formed from the merger of T-Mobile and Orange, Three had to agree not to launch 4G on the spectrum before October 2013, which is the main reason for it delaying its deployment until later in the year.
The 1800 MHz band strikes a balance between coverage and capacity (falling between the extremes of the 2.6 GHz and 800 MHz bands) which makes it a good 'middle-ground' for getting 4G around the country.
Ofcom's 4G spectrum auction
The 4G spectrum auction held by Ofcom at the beginning of the year saw winning bids from O2, Vodafone, Three and of course EE. Interestingly BT also came away with a piece of the pie through its subsidiary Niche Spectrum Ventures.
Remember, more MHz means a better connection, so the more 'x GHz' of spectrum, the more widespread and robust network can be.
I recently checked via Ofcom's media sources, that Vodafone spent the most at the auction - a whopping £790,761,000 and came away with 2 x 10 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum, 1 x 20 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum and a further 1 x 25 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum.
EE spent £588,876,000 and secured 2 x 5 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum and 2 x 35 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum, which is less spectrum overall than Vodafone has.
Don't forget that EE can also call upon the 1800 MHz spectrum that it's been using over the last year though.
O2 spent £550,000,000 on 2 x 10 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum. The company completely neglected the 2.6 GHz band which may hurt its inner city performance, but with its extensive network of Wi-Fi hotspots in cities o2 thinks it will be OK without it – although it will be interesting to see how receptive consumers are to the idea.
Three spent £225,000,000 on 2 x 5 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum. Like O2, the company passed on the 2.6 GHz band, however Three will also have access to some 1800 MHz spectrum.
BT was something of a surprise bidder and secured 2 x 15 MHz of 2.6 GHz and 1 x 20 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum- though it doesn't look like the telecoms giant is going to launch a new mobile network. Instead the spectrum is likely to be used to boost and complement its existing broadband services as well as providing behind-the-scenes wireless support for the mobile industry.
The 4G spectrum auction held by Ofcom at the beginning of the year saw winning bids from O2, Vodafone, Three and of course EE. Interestingly BT also came away with a piece of the pie through its subsidiary Niche Spectrum Ventures.
Remember, more MHz means a better connection, so the more 'x GHz' of spectrum, the more widespread and robust network can be.
I recently checked via Ofcom's media sources, that Vodafone spent the most at the auction - a whopping £790,761,000 and came away with 2 x 10 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum, 1 x 20 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum and a further 1 x 25 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum.
EE spent £588,876,000 and secured 2 x 5 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum and 2 x 35 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum, which is less spectrum overall than Vodafone has.
Don't forget that EE can also call upon the 1800 MHz spectrum that it's been using over the last year though.
O2 spent £550,000,000 on 2 x 10 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum. The company completely neglected the 2.6 GHz band which may hurt its inner city performance, but with its extensive network of Wi-Fi hotspots in cities o2 thinks it will be OK without it – although it will be interesting to see how receptive consumers are to the idea.
Three spent £225,000,000 on 2 x 5 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum. Like O2, the company passed on the 2.6 GHz band, however Three will also have access to some 1800 MHz spectrum.
BT was something of a surprise bidder and secured 2 x 15 MHz of 2.6 GHz and 1 x 20 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum- though it doesn't look like the telecoms giant is going to launch a new mobile network. Instead the spectrum is likely to be used to boost and complement its existing broadband services as well as providing behind-the-scenes wireless support for the mobile industry.
EE
4G arrived in the UK on 30th October 2012 courtesy of a joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile named Everything Everywhere, or 'EE' for short.
EE was granted permission by Ofcom to use part of its existing 3G bandwidth for 4G, which is why it got a head start on everybody else in October 2012. As you can imagine, rival networks were somewhat unhappy about this decision, but part of the deal for EE to get this head start was that it had to sell off a chunk of their 1800MHz spectrum.
This chunk was promptly snapped up by Three, though despite getting a hold of 4G spectrum before O2 or Vodafone, Three is going to be the last network to launch a 4G service, which is part of the sale deal with EE.
For almost a year EE was the only provider of 4G services in the UK and it's made the most of that head start as its 4G network is currently available in over 100 UK towns and cities.What's more, EE has access to a huge amount of 4G spectrum and is the only network with access to all three of the 4G spectrum bands that are in use in the UK, making it the best prepared for data demands of the future.
EE has also begun improving its 4G network in certain locations, leading to 'double speed' 4G being available in a number of towns and cities. This means that it's got another technological advantage over O2, Vodafone and Three, but I can't imagine it'll take long until the rest have caught up.
4G arrived in the UK on 30th October 2012 courtesy of a joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile named Everything Everywhere, or 'EE' for short.
EE was granted permission by Ofcom to use part of its existing 3G bandwidth for 4G, which is why it got a head start on everybody else in October 2012. As you can imagine, rival networks were somewhat unhappy about this decision, but part of the deal for EE to get this head start was that it had to sell off a chunk of their 1800MHz spectrum.
This chunk was promptly snapped up by Three, though despite getting a hold of 4G spectrum before O2 or Vodafone, Three is going to be the last network to launch a 4G service, which is part of the sale deal with EE.
For almost a year EE was the only provider of 4G services in the UK and it's made the most of that head start as its 4G network is currently available in over 100 UK towns and cities.What's more, EE has access to a huge amount of 4G spectrum and is the only network with access to all three of the 4G spectrum bands that are in use in the UK, making it the best prepared for data demands of the future.
EE has also begun improving its 4G network in certain locations, leading to 'double speed' 4G being available in a number of towns and cities. This means that it's got another technological advantage over O2, Vodafone and Three, but I can't imagine it'll take long until the rest have caught up.
O2
O2 finally launched its 4G network on August 29, although there may not be too much to get excited about as O2's launch is limited to London, Leeds and Bradford. However Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Sheffield, Manchester and Edinburgh will be added before the end of the year.
The fact that O2 doesn't have access to the 2.6 GHz frequency may result in it not having the data capacity to adequately serve 4G to cities once customers become more data hungry.
Another problem O2 faces is that the iPhone 5 isn't compatible with its network.
O2 finally launched its 4G network on August 29, although there may not be too much to get excited about as O2's launch is limited to London, Leeds and Bradford. However Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Sheffield, Manchester and Edinburgh will be added before the end of the year.
The fact that O2 doesn't have access to the 2.6 GHz frequency may result in it not having the data capacity to adequately serve 4G to cities once customers become more data hungry.
Another problem O2 faces is that the iPhone 5 isn't compatible with its network.
Vodafone
Vodafone also launched its 4G network on the August 29, seemingly just to steal some of O2's thunder as the network was previously talking about launching later.
Initially Vodafone's 4G signal will only be available in London, but by the end of the year the network will have brought it to Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. That's thirteen cities in all, which is the same number as O2 plan to provide 4G to by the end of the year, though still a long way short of EE's coverage.
With sizable chunks of both the 800 MHz and the 2.6 GHz band, Vodafone should have the capacity to deliver a fast, reliable 4G connection to customers in both urban and rural locations.
Vodafone also launched its 4G network on the August 29, seemingly just to steal some of O2's thunder as the network was previously talking about launching later.
Initially Vodafone's 4G signal will only be available in London, but by the end of the year the network will have brought it to Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. That's thirteen cities in all, which is the same number as O2 plan to provide 4G to by the end of the year, though still a long way short of EE's coverage.
With sizable chunks of both the 800 MHz and the 2.6 GHz band, Vodafone should have the capacity to deliver a fast, reliable 4G connection to customers in both urban and rural locations.
Three's
Three has finally announced it will be rolling out its 4G networks in December of this year, which is a bit later than the Big Three. However, it will have an ace up its sleeve: no additional cost for 4G.If you already have a 4G handset and a Three SIM then 4G speeds won't cost you any extra - all you'll have to do is install a software update from the network to activate it.
London, Manchester and Birmingham will be the first cities to get the 4G network, with the switch on set to "accelerate" in January bringing 4G access to over 1.5 million customers in the new year.
By the end of 2014, Three intends to have 4G coverage in 50 cities across the UK, and nearly the whole country covered by the superfast connection by the end of the following year.
This is thanks to the numerical networking managing to nab some of the 800MHz spectrum to deploy 4G speeds to the rural parts of the UK.
That combination of low prices and large data allowances could be enough to topple the scales in Three's favor and I hope force the other networks to lower their prices.
However, long term prognosis are not quite so rosy for Three, as with only a small amount of 800 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum they may struggle to keep up with its customers data needs.
Three has finally announced it will be rolling out its 4G networks in December of this year, which is a bit later than the Big Three. However, it will have an ace up its sleeve: no additional cost for 4G.If you already have a 4G handset and a Three SIM then 4G speeds won't cost you any extra - all you'll have to do is install a software update from the network to activate it.
London, Manchester and Birmingham will be the first cities to get the 4G network, with the switch on set to "accelerate" in January bringing 4G access to over 1.5 million customers in the new year.
By the end of 2014, Three intends to have 4G coverage in 50 cities across the UK, and nearly the whole country covered by the superfast connection by the end of the following year.
This is thanks to the numerical networking managing to nab some of the 800MHz spectrum to deploy 4G speeds to the rural parts of the UK.
That combination of low prices and large data allowances could be enough to topple the scales in Three's favor and I hope force the other networks to lower their prices.
However, long term prognosis are not quite so rosy for Three, as with only a small amount of 800 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum they may struggle to keep up with its customers data needs.
4G coverage: When will the whole of the UK have it?
Although all of the networks should have 4G services by the end of 2013, they will of course focus their efforts on major cities first in an effort to service the most users.
Ofcom's targets say that 4G must reach 98% of the population and 95% of the country by the end of 2017, but EE claim that it will cover 98% of the country by the end of 2014 and already covered 60% of the UK population, while O2 and Vodafone are both aiming to cover 98% of the country by the end of 2015, so UK-wide 4G coverage may be closer than you think.
EE are also upgrading their 3G network to DC-HSPA in an effort to improve speeds when 4G services aren't available.
Although all of the networks should have 4G services by the end of 2013, they will of course focus their efforts on major cities first in an effort to service the most users.
Ofcom's targets say that 4G must reach 98% of the population and 95% of the country by the end of 2017, but EE claim that it will cover 98% of the country by the end of 2014 and already covered 60% of the UK population, while O2 and Vodafone are both aiming to cover 98% of the country by the end of 2015, so UK-wide 4G coverage may be closer than you think.
EE are also upgrading their 3G network to DC-HSPA in an effort to improve speeds when 4G services aren't available.
4G phones and what they are?
The 4G phones currently available in the UK are basically just LTE-equipped versions of the current top-end 3G phones, such as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4, and HTC One, along with a few mid range handsets such as the HTC One Mini and Nokia Lumia 820.
However if you have an Iphone 5 on o2 or Vodafone you are pretty unlucky as your phone won't be able to get 4G speed.
Why? easy.
The Iphone 5 supports only 1800 MHz bandwidth and if you have read so far you should know that neither of those two networks secured this band. So if you have the Iphone 5 on one of them and is paramount for you to use 4G, you would have to jump on EE wagon and use it on their network. I still can't figure out why Apple had not combined different frequencies in the phone and made it compatible with every network. It's not only UK problem. In states people are locked to the networks in the same fashion. Knowing Apple I can only think that somehow they can squeeze more money from people or carriers this way.The Iphone 5s/5c finally got much anticipated combined frequencies. There are five different iPhone mobile radio configurations though.
The one that would be interested to us in Europe is A1457 and definitely will not function on LTE in North America because it does not have CDMA capabilities.
The new iPhones can now connect to O2's extra-fast network once you've done a quick update. In order to benefit from faster data speeds, you need to update your new iPhone's settings. Either connect to iTunes or go into your settings when connected to Wi-Fi and you should be prompted to update your carrier settings. I found this quick instruction on o2 website that might come handy click here for full instructions.
Do the 4G versions of the iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPhone 5 work in the UK?
They do! The iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPhone 5 all work on the 1800 MHz frequency band used by EE. Again, they aren't compatible with the 800 MHz or 2.6 GHz bands that O2 and Vodafone uses, so you'll only be able to enjoy 4G speeds on the current generation of iDevices if you get one on EE or wait for Three to roll out 4G.
None of the older iPhones or iPads work with 4G on any UK network, so even when buying through EE or Three you'll have to shell out for the latest and greatest of Apple's offerings.
The 4G phones currently available in the UK are basically just LTE-equipped versions of the current top-end 3G phones, such as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4, and HTC One, along with a few mid range handsets such as the HTC One Mini and Nokia Lumia 820.
However if you have an Iphone 5 on o2 or Vodafone you are pretty unlucky as your phone won't be able to get 4G speed.
Why? easy.
The Iphone 5 supports only 1800 MHz bandwidth and if you have read so far you should know that neither of those two networks secured this band. So if you have the Iphone 5 on one of them and is paramount for you to use 4G, you would have to jump on EE wagon and use it on their network. I still can't figure out why Apple had not combined different frequencies in the phone and made it compatible with every network. It's not only UK problem. In states people are locked to the networks in the same fashion. Knowing Apple I can only think that somehow they can squeeze more money from people or carriers this way.The Iphone 5s/5c finally got much anticipated combined frequencies. There are five different iPhone mobile radio configurations though.
The one that would be interested to us in Europe is A1457 and definitely will not function on LTE in North America because it does not have CDMA capabilities.
The new iPhones can now connect to O2's extra-fast network once you've done a quick update. In order to benefit from faster data speeds, you need to update your new iPhone's settings. Either connect to iTunes or go into your settings when connected to Wi-Fi and you should be prompted to update your carrier settings. I found this quick instruction on o2 website that might come handy click here for full instructions.
Do the 4G versions of the iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPhone 5 work in the UK?
They do! The iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPhone 5 all work on the 1800 MHz frequency band used by EE. Again, they aren't compatible with the 800 MHz or 2.6 GHz bands that O2 and Vodafone uses, so you'll only be able to enjoy 4G speeds on the current generation of iDevices if you get one on EE or wait for Three to roll out 4G.
None of the older iPhones or iPads work with 4G on any UK network, so even when buying through EE or Three you'll have to shell out for the latest and greatest of Apple's offerings.
To determine coverage for a geographic region, here is a link that provides the latest LTE implementation worldwide.
One of the advantages to being late to the 4G party is that we're spared the rubbish "first try" handsets that we suffered back when 3G came out, even though very few of you can remember it.
What are the 4G download speeds?
Well, so far I can only comment on Everything Everywhere's network speeds, as this is the only 4G network with confirmed speeds at the time and certainly is impressive.
EE boasts speeds typically five times faster than current 3G networks, though in some places in London it gets to ten or more times faster than a comparable 3G handset in the same area.
EE claims average download speeds of 12-15Mbps and typical maximum speeds of 40Mbps, with upload speeds averaging around 5-6Mbps with a typical maximum of 15Mbps.
EE has also started rolling out 'double speed' 4G in select locations. So far it's available in 20 cities and, according to EE, average download speeds in those locations are 24-30Mbps, while the maximum speed is 60Mbps. Average upload speeds are said to be 11Mbps.
EE has achieved this by making network improvements which allow customers to use 2 x 20 MHz of spectrum, where before they would have been using 2 x 10 MHz of spectrum – essentially a bigger (virtual) pipe allowing a faster rush of data to enter your phone.
Whether the other networks will achieve any higher remains to be seen, but 4G download speeds could theoretically exceed 100Mbps with upload rates of more than 50Mbps, though it's unlikely we'll see anything like that in the near future.
What are the 4G download speeds?
Well, so far I can only comment on Everything Everywhere's network speeds, as this is the only 4G network with confirmed speeds at the time and certainly is impressive.
EE boasts speeds typically five times faster than current 3G networks, though in some places in London it gets to ten or more times faster than a comparable 3G handset in the same area.
EE claims average download speeds of 12-15Mbps and typical maximum speeds of 40Mbps, with upload speeds averaging around 5-6Mbps with a typical maximum of 15Mbps.
EE has also started rolling out 'double speed' 4G in select locations. So far it's available in 20 cities and, according to EE, average download speeds in those locations are 24-30Mbps, while the maximum speed is 60Mbps. Average upload speeds are said to be 11Mbps.
EE has achieved this by making network improvements which allow customers to use 2 x 20 MHz of spectrum, where before they would have been using 2 x 10 MHz of spectrum – essentially a bigger (virtual) pipe allowing a faster rush of data to enter your phone.
Whether the other networks will achieve any higher remains to be seen, but 4G download speeds could theoretically exceed 100Mbps with upload rates of more than 50Mbps, though it's unlikely we'll see anything like that in the near future.
Why is 4G so fast?
4G's impressive speed increase is achieved with the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Divison Multiplexing), a transmission technology used by the likes of ADSL, Wi-Fi, DVB-T, DVB-H and DAB.
Not only does it reduce latency (the amount of time taken to buffer and connect to webpages), but it also minimises interference and is able to cram greater amounts of data into the same slice of radio bandwidth.Simply put, this enables 4G/LTE phones and tablets to stream video and play online games like never before, largely because 4G has been designed primarily as a data network, rather than a voice one and it uses the same TCP/IP protocols that underpin the internet.
The upshot for you is that the data is 'flatter', as in it's easier for the networks to stream, so should theoretically be cheaper. Whether those cost savings are ever passed on remains to be seen – it's not cheap to roll out 4G, especially at this rate of deployment across the UK.
It's possible that further increases in speed could be achieved with MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology, which uses multiple antennas on transmitters and receivers like 802.11n Wi-Fi equipment, but that's some way into the future.
Nokia has reportedly achieved 173Mbps from 4G with a 2x2 MIMO configuration (two antennas on both the transmitter and receiver), so a 4x4 arrangement could potentially offer as much as 326.4Mbps, although this isn't something you should think about right now… although perhaps we'll see this these speeds on the future phones.
4G's impressive speed increase is achieved with the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Divison Multiplexing), a transmission technology used by the likes of ADSL, Wi-Fi, DVB-T, DVB-H and DAB.
Not only does it reduce latency (the amount of time taken to buffer and connect to webpages), but it also minimises interference and is able to cram greater amounts of data into the same slice of radio bandwidth.Simply put, this enables 4G/LTE phones and tablets to stream video and play online games like never before, largely because 4G has been designed primarily as a data network, rather than a voice one and it uses the same TCP/IP protocols that underpin the internet.
The upshot for you is that the data is 'flatter', as in it's easier for the networks to stream, so should theoretically be cheaper. Whether those cost savings are ever passed on remains to be seen – it's not cheap to roll out 4G, especially at this rate of deployment across the UK.
It's possible that further increases in speed could be achieved with MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology, which uses multiple antennas on transmitters and receivers like 802.11n Wi-Fi equipment, but that's some way into the future.
Nokia has reportedly achieved 173Mbps from 4G with a 2x2 MIMO configuration (two antennas on both the transmitter and receiver), so a 4x4 arrangement could potentially offer as much as 326.4Mbps, although this isn't something you should think about right now… although perhaps we'll see this these speeds on the future phones.
LTE-A and the future of 4G
The UK may only just be fully embracing 4G but some parts of the world are already looking to the next generation of high speed mobile data. That next step is LTE-A (the 'A' is for 'advanced).
Essentially its works by increasing the number of antennas in use as detailed above, alongside 'carrier aggregation' which allows a device to combine multiple 4G signals or even multiple different frequencies, rather than just using one at a time as standard 4G does.
In theory LTE-A can deliver far greater data speeds than the 4G of today. In fact it could potentially reach speeds of up to 160 Mbps, which is comparable to a 20MB home broadband connection.
LTE-A won't work on 4G-ready phones as they'll specifically need an LTE-A chip in them, however there is already one LTE-A compatible handset available.
It's an LTE-A version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and currently it's only available in South Korea-
It's a fairly safe bet that the UK will get in on the act one day and at that moment we'll be able to enjoy fixed line broadband speeds on the move. But the technology is still in its infancy and we've only just got normal LTE, so we've probably got a while to wait.
The UK may only just be fully embracing 4G but some parts of the world are already looking to the next generation of high speed mobile data. That next step is LTE-A (the 'A' is for 'advanced).
Essentially its works by increasing the number of antennas in use as detailed above, alongside 'carrier aggregation' which allows a device to combine multiple 4G signals or even multiple different frequencies, rather than just using one at a time as standard 4G does.
In theory LTE-A can deliver far greater data speeds than the 4G of today. In fact it could potentially reach speeds of up to 160 Mbps, which is comparable to a 20MB home broadband connection.
LTE-A won't work on 4G-ready phones as they'll specifically need an LTE-A chip in them, however there is already one LTE-A compatible handset available.
It's an LTE-A version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and currently it's only available in South Korea-
It's a fairly safe bet that the UK will get in on the act one day and at that moment we'll be able to enjoy fixed line broadband speeds on the move. But the technology is still in its infancy and we've only just got normal LTE, so we've probably got a while to wait.