The U.K. telecommunications regulator says widespread availability of LTE services likely won't happen there until 2015.
Ofcom just unveiled the draft of its annual plan for 2012-13, announcing that it anticipates there won't be rollout of 4G LTE services until 2013 or 2014. That's not good news to Brits who find themselves several years behind the technological curve set by the U.S., South Korea, Germany and others.
The delay is in the spectrum. An auction of 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands was previously scheduled to happen this year, but the government says the spectrum – once used for analog TV broadcasts – now won't be doled out until 2012 or 2013, according to CBR Online.
The battle for spectrum is a tough one. Small operators want limits placed on the big boys who they feel could hog it all and shut them out.
The U.K. could fall behind some of its other European neighbors. Not only are Germany and much of Scandinavia already on the 4G train, a spectrum auction in France is happening now.
