Ofcom: UK's 4G Network Won't Be Complete Until 2015

Ofcom's annual plan reveals further delays for the UK's 4G network.

While our friends across the pond have been enjoying 4G speeds for quite a while now, it seems we in the UK will be forced to wait even longer than we originally anticipated before we can bask in the warm glow of 4G.

Back in September, we learned that the auctioning off of spectrum had been delayed thanks to legal woes stemming from the nation's carriers. The delay meant Ofcom would miss its Q12012 deadline for the auction, with the watchdog instead hoping to have the auction sometime in the first half of 2012. With this schedule, it would be 2013 before we saw any 4G phones. However, now it seems we're in for further delays.

Ofcom's draft annual plan for 2012/2013 (via Crave) has revealed that the 4G roll-out won't reach the point of wide-availability before 2015. The body says that the priorities for 2012/13 will include auctioning of the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum band, delivering on the Government’s spectrum guarantee for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and developing and implementing policies that will improve the ease of switching between communications providers. The initial roll-out of 4G services has been pushed to 2013/14 with completion scheduled for 2015.

O2 recently began testing its own 4G network in London, though it's only scheduled to last through until the summer of 2012. The idea behind the trial is to give consumers, businesses and venue owners a chance to test the latest 4G technology. Sadly, it seems it will be a long time before they see 4G speeds on a permanent basis.