The mobile operators are to the blame for the UK's current lack of a 4G network. That was the firm statement of the Minister for Culture, Ed Vaizey, when he addressed an industry audience at The Future of Entertainment summit in London."The 4G spectrum is on track for the end of the year," he began, to some relief, as he outlined the issues which Ofcom has had to address to the crowd of media bigwigs, and Pocket-lint.
Despite what Pocket-lint has heard in the past from Everything Everywhere, Vaizey claimed the legal threats from the mobile service providers as the main reason for Ofcom's hold up in the licensing process for the next generation infrastructure so far."Just about every mobile service provider has threatened to sue Ofcom if they get it wrong. If you want to look at the delay, don't look at Ofcom, don't look at the Government, ask your mobile service provider.
In May the operator, a joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile, told Pocket-lint that it is extremely confident Ofcom won't stand in its way in rolling out 4G before rival operators, despite objections it could lead to a monopoly of the market.
"I would personally find it very strange for our government to stand up and say no you can't have the next generation of mobile broadband when they have been championing the rollout for years," argued David Salam, head of Network Strategy and Architecture at Everything Everywhere.
We have asked for comment from Vodafone, Everything Everywhere, and O2 on the comments from the Culture Minister.
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