98% of the UK could now benefit from 4G coverage following a revision to proposals by telecoms watchdog Ofcom regarding the mobile spectrum auction.

The regulator has announced that the winning bidder is required to provide high-speed coverage to rural ”not-spot” areas. 

Ofcom previously stipulated that the winning bidder would need to roll out a 4G network to 95% of the UK population.

However, following the revisions, this amount has now been extended to 98%.

It is hoped these guidelines will allow sections of the country that currently receive no service to benefit from fast mobile internet.

Ofcom’s revisions will now undergo a 10-week consultation, before the final decision regarding the spectrum auction is announced.

 It is understood that the auction is still set to take place at the end of this year.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

Virgin Media has announced that it is set to double the speed of its broadband offering for over four million of its current customers.

Due to start in 2012, the service upgrade will see speeds increase from 100Mbps to 120Mbps.

Expected to be completed by the end of June 2013, the move is reportedly costing Virgin Media the sum of £110 million. 

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has hailed this step forward as a ”great boost” to the UK.

Many members of parliament are in agreement, particularly as the investment supports the Government’s policy to deliver super-fast broadband to 90% of the UK by 2015.

However, Virgin Media mostly services urban areas, with critics worried that rural areas may fall by the wayside when it comes to broadband availability.

Only time will tell whether the roll out will be successful.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

UK broadband networks in 10 cities across the UK are set to benefit from Government funding.

In the Autumn statement Chancellor George Osborne announed that £5bn is due to be spent on infrastructure projects in order to improve roads, railways and broadband networks.

It is understood that £100m of this figure is set to be spent on improving broadband coverage in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

A further six UK cities are set to be identified at a later date.

The Government plans to create a network of super-fast cities with broadband speeds of between 80 to 100 Mbps (megabits per second) and city-wide high-speed mobile connectivity.

A spokesman for BT said the company welcomed the news, calling the scheme a “positive initiative”.

However, whilst some providers are happy with this move, critics have suggested that it would have been better to channel the money into broadband networks in rural locations.

The Government has maintained its aim for the UK to be the best place for broadband in Europe by 2015.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

In direct competition with BT’s service, Fujitsu has announced plans to create a superfast broadband network which will service rural areas of the UK.

This announcement comes as recent research revealed that 1% of UK households currently have access to superfast broadband, with consistent speeds over 25Mbps.

This network, which will be open to local authorities, will be used by Virgin Media and TalkTalk to provide internet services.

In order to provide the services, Fujitsu has requested £500m if Government money needed to fund the project.

It is understood that this sum would account for almost all of the £530m that the Government have set aside for use on rural broadband projects. 

A further £300m in funding from the BBC licence fee is set to become available after 2015.

The Fujitsu network will offer fibre optic cabling or Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) directly to rural parts of the UK bringing with it speeds in excess of 1Gbps or more.

In comparison, BT’s superfast network which relies mainly on slower Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) technology which can offer speeds of up to 40Mbps.

Assuming they are successful, Fujitsu aim to add their ‘first retail customer in 2012 and reach 5 million in three to five years’.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog