Communications company Everything Everywhere ( Orange and T-Mobile ) has announced that it plans to invest more than £1.5bn over the next three years to improve its existing ( 3G ) and future ( 4G ) Mobile Broadband network with faster internet speeds, better reliability and enhanced coverage. Integration of the two merged mobile operators will also be accelerated as a means of boosting their existing 3G data coverage.

The announcement represents a double digit growth in its 2012 network investment compared to 2011 and will prepare their platform for the next generation of superfast 4G ( LTE ) mobile data services, which Ofcom expects to surface during late 2013. A trial is already underway in Cornwall with BT (here).



The company also confirmed that it was in the final stages of "the big switch on", which "within weeks" will give Orange and T-Mobile customers "access to the biggest 3G network and widest 3G coverage in the UK". Ofcom recently updated its maps of mobile operator coverage and found that most fell well short of expectations (here).

The regulator reported that, despite some bold claims from mobile operators, 73% of premises and just 13% of the UK's landmass can receive a signal outdoors from all five 3G networks, with lower coverage in less densely populated areas. Approximately 7.7 million premises do not have a choice of all five 3G networks.

According to Everything Everywhere, the future generation of 4G services should provide "wider, faster and more reliable coverage" than today's services. Indeed the UK government has called for tougher commitments, especially in rural areas, although it remains to be seen whether this will actually carry through into reality.