The telco aims to cover 98% of indoor population by end-2017
U.K. operator O2 said that its 4G LTE services now cover 6,000 towns across the country, providing 87% coverage to the outdoor population. The telco said that its 4G network had been launched in August 2013.
The telco said that investments in LTE are part of the telco’s £3 billion ($4.24 billion) network modernization program. According to the obligations set in the concession contract, O2’s LTE network should reach 98% of indoor population coverage by the end of 2017. The concession also stipulates that the 4G LTE network should cover at least 95% of the population of each England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales by the end of next year.
O2 currently provides 4G LTE services in the UK through spectrum in the 800MHz band. The telco, which is part of the Telefonica Group, currently has approximately 25 million customers in the UK.
O2 is the second largest operator in the UK after EE. The telco is owned by Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica.
Ofcom launches consultation process to free up spectrim
Also in the UK, local telecoms regulator Ofcom is seeking input on whether spectrum in the 3.8 GHz-4.2 GHz band could be shared in order to free up more capacity for wireless broadband services.
The frequencies are currently used for fixed satellite services and point-to-point connectivity, thre regulator said.
“We believe this band poses a good opportunity and potential for more intensive usage by innovative applications/services, while taking into account incumbent services,” Ofcom said.
“Where there is potential benefit to new sharing we will need to consider the associated changes carefully, taking account of the benefits that incumbent services deliver to citizens and consumers,” Ofcom added.
The regulator said that interested parties will have time to send comments until June 9.
