Is better 3G coverage just around the corner?

At the beginning of the month telecoms regulator Ofcom approved the use of 2G frequency to deliver 3G mobile broadband signal. But will this improve 3G coverage and speeds for mobile broadband users?

The right frequency

The networks most likely to benefit from the liberalisation of 2G frequency are O2 and Vodafone. This is because these two providers use the 900MHz spectrum for 2G signal, which is particularly good at travelling long distances and penetrating indoor areas (the lower the frequency, the better its reach).

T-Mobile and Orange (which merged to form Everything Everywhere, sharing the same network as 3), use the 1800Mhz band, which isn’t quite as good as reaching long distances. So Everything Everywhere may not bother deploying 3G over its 2G frequency.

Another issue is that, in order to benefit from 3G over 2G, you’ll need a compatible phone. Most recently released high-end phones, such as the iPhone 4 and Nokia N8, do support 3G over the 900Mhz band (UMTS900), but older models may not be compatible.

Long term improvements

We asked Ofcom just how much of an improvement in mobile broadband coverage and speed customers can expect following the policy change. The regulator told us that in the short term customers on some networks might “start to see an improvement in the quality of mobile broadband service.”

But real improvements in speed and coverage probably won’t be noticeable until 4G services begin to be deployed over the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrums, and operators start using the 900MHz and 1800MHz for 3G more widely.

Network operators are still waiting for 4G spectrum to be allocated, which will take place during an auction at the beginning of next year. Actual 4G networks probably won’t be deployed until around 2014.

So, while there might be small improvements in the short term (for O2 and Vodafone customers with compatible phones), it looks like most of us will have to wait for 4G before we see any major improvement in mobile broadband coverage and speeds.

For information on mobile broadband take a look at our mobile broadband advice section.