First trial of 4G LTE Advanced launches in London

Although it was only just over a year ago that 4G, the superfast next generation of mobile network, first came to the UK, its successor is already being trialed in the nation’s capital.

The trial has been launched by the mobile network operator EE, which was the first to launch 4G ion the UK and now boasts the fastest speeds, the greatest coverage and now some of the best pay as you go SIM deals on the market for its 4G customers. EE chose Tech City in East London for its trial of 4G LTE Advanced, which is the next generation of mobile network.

The network has invested heavily in Tech City, which is home to more than 1,000 technology start-up companies. To date, EE has spent £3.6 million pounds in the area, which is also known as Silicone Roundabout, in the last six months alone. The result of this expenditure is that it is provided with its own 4G network, as well as being the first to be able to test the latest technology. In London in July 2013, when EE launched Double Speed 4GEE, a service which is now being rolled out in more than 20 major UK towns and cities, Tech City led the way in trilling the network.

The Prime Minister David Cameron has now announced that the first tests of 4G LTE Advanced, or 4G LTE-A as it is commonly known, have been carried out by EE in East London. The businesses in Tech City, using the new service as part of a closed network, will now be able to enjoy download speeds of up to 300Mbps. These speeds are around twenty times faster than standard 3G, three times as fast as fixed line broadband and twice as fast as standard 4G.

Now that the trial has been carried out, EE will now work with Tech City to plan for a roll out of 4G LTE-A in 2014. The roll out will focus on similar tech clusters such as Tech City, in a bid to boost the growth of small businesses in the UK. It is not yet known whether existing 4G-ready devices such as the Nokia Lumia 625 or the iPhone 5, for example, will work with the new network, or whether new compatible devices will need to be launched.