O2 UK Trials 150Mbps Next Gen LTE Mobile Broadband in Slough

150 Mbps might seem like a dream, but when you realise that the speeds actually apply to mobile broadband rather than fixed line services it sounds like a complete fantasy, especially for consumers that have been stuck on mobile broadband contracts that rarely offer speeds any faster than 1 Mbps, despite often advertising much more.

However, the first trial of Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services was conducted in the UK this week by mobile broadband and phone operator, O2. The peak download on the trial measured at 150 Mbps but the future ?4G? connections could move as fast as 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps).

Before you get too excited by these figures, its worth noting that the speeds are more likely to be around 340 Mbps and that this will then be split down greatly as many customers share the same link. LTE might make things faster but it may not solve all of the capacity problems of mobile broadband, nor the tiny profit margins that operating such a service generates.

The trial was conducted in Slough, where O2?s headquarters are based. Trials were also conducted by the parent company Telefonica in Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and the Czech Republic.

O2 UK?s Chief Technical Officer Derek McManus said:

?We are pleased to collaborate with Huawei on this LTE trial, which will allow us to better understand this emerging technology and prepare us in offering our customers next generation mobile broadband services in the future.”

The LTE service is due to begin its rollout by the end of 2010 and we?ll be you updated throughout next year on the progress of the new technology.

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