Everything Everywhere and BT begin Cornwall 4G trial

Everything Everywhere and BT have started a trial of 4G technology in Cornwall, in which some 200 residents will consume services over fixed and mobile connections.

The trial is designed to provide insights into how 4G services perform in rural areas. The technology is scheduled to go live in 2014, and is cited as one of the ways in which the UK can close the digital divide.

Some 400 residents applied to participate in the trial, underlining the demand for high-speed broadband, and a total of 100 fixed and 100 mobile volunteers were chosen in the region to the south of Newquay (see map below). The trial will run until early 2012.

Everything Everywhere and BT will hold workshops with residents to show them how the technology works and to gather feedback.

Fixed customers will connect wirelessly via a 4G base station which passes the signal to BT's fixed-line backhaul network, while mobile customers will receive LTE-enabled dongles for use with laptops.

The trial is running on a small section of the 800MHz and 10MHz spectrum holdings, and is supported by technology from Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei.

BT Wholesale chief executive Nigel Stagg explained that the trial will allow the company to look at different ways in which it can roll out high-speed internet access to the UK's most remote areas.

"The final 10 per cent of the country won't be covered by government funds and is exceedingly difficult to reach with the available standard fixed-line solutions," he said.

"Our proof of concept trial in Cornwall will test the capabilities and services that a shared fixed and mobile data network can support. And this is just one of the technologies that we are looking at to offer a possible solution to the rural broadband challenge."

While the trial will showcase the potential of 4G services, it comes in the same week that a report by the Open Digital Policy think tank estimated that the UK could be losing as much as £732m owing to the slow auction process for LTE spectrum holdings.