O2 to trial fastest 4G broadband in London

Insanely fast mobile broadband speeds could soon become a reality for Londoners, as O2 today announce plans to begin testing 4G connections in the capital.

The trials will run for nine months and will see 25 4G sites created, covering 40 square kilometres in total in areas including Hyde Park, The O2 in Greenwich and Canary Wharf, Soho, Westminster, South Bank and Kings Cross.

According to reports, download speeds as fast as 100Mbps will be possible during the trial, with 1,000 O2 customers expected to take part in the tests.

Ronan Dunne, chief executive officer at O2, said:

“Today’s launch of the UK’s first 4G London trial network demonstrates our commitment to delivering 4G to our customers at the earliest opportunity.

“The work we are doing now will lay the foundations for our commercial 4G network when it launches in the UK.”

Each person testing the service will be able to do so using a Samsung B3730 mobile broadband dongle, with the trial itself using the 2.6GHz spectrum band under a Test and Development licence granted to O2 by OFCOM.

“Our work in London will give us a better understanding of the capabilities of 4G technology and will allow us to explore the superfast benefits it will bring to people and industry across the UK. This 4G trial is the next step on our journey to a smarter network – a network that offers a seamless, connected experience across multiple devices, locations and services.

To find out more, check out Tech Digest’s beginner’s guide to 4G.