LTE mobile broadband trial to be launched in Cornwall

A LTE based, mobile broadband trial to be launched by the next generation wireless network provider, Clear Mobitel in Cornwall aims at finding viable solutions to meet the high speed broadband needs of the rural consumers.

The new high-speed internet service will operate in the 800MHz frequency band and can deliver speeds of up to 12Mbps , using the Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology, the company said.

Clear Mobitel will run the trial in Caradon Hill area of East Cornwall to find out how the 4G or LTE technology can effectively be used to offer faster internet solutions to the people who live in rural ‘notspots’ where traditonal broadband like ADSL or cable is unavailable or offers slower speeds.

Long Term Evolution is the latest mobile internet technology that promises superfast speeds for mobile internet broadband users and is designed to increase the capacity of the wireless networks to meet the growing mobile data traffic needs and prevent network congestion.

It took more than a year for the network provider to get license to operate this innovative, high speed Internet solution in the 800MHz band which analogue TV normally uses to transmit signals.

“Cornwall is an excellent area to conduct such a trial given it is deeply rural in nature and also the fact that the 800MHz band is largely dormant due to the completion of the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial TV transmission,” the firm’s Regulatory Affairs Director, Andrew Elston said.

Initially, around 300 people can access the service using the new devices which the company is likely to launch from September.