4g-networks-lets-work-together

Today saw the tentative announcement for the auctioning of frequencies for fourth-generational (4G) networks in the UK. Possibly incredibly lucrative for the Government with countless billions plunged into the last round (although probably not on the same scale this time), there’s a big opportunity available here for the wider public.

Currently, each company bought one or more sections of the available bandwidth and then set about building their own networks independently. Not only did the bandwidth cost a staggering amount of money, but the overall network each company manages is just as big an investment.

Yet for all of this, overall network coverage is not really that great. Traveling down the M5, trundling around the cost of West Wales or even the West Coast Main Line all have issues with connectivity, both on 2G and 3G.

Each company follows the same pattern – invest in the areas with the greatest return. Start with inside the M25, work through Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, etc. and expand along the major roads, such as the M1, M4, M5, M6, M40/42, etc. and the rail network.

However, all this is overlap. Five networks all competing for the same coverage over the same space. Would it not be cheaper for all and massively more benifical for everyone to work together?

Instead of five towers all covering the same area with many gaps and breaks in signal, three towers instead could all work together to all serve the same five networks but with greater quality and bandwidth availability.

Let’s make the government, through the auction process, install a clause which requires that a neutral, not-for-profit, and ultimately independent company from both the providers it serves and the government, installs, manages, and maintains the network through which each service provider has an equal stake in. This new company will install the base stations, organise the locations and aim for maximum coverage of the whole of the UK.

In the long run this will be cheaper for the service providers which can only mean lower bills for everyone. Plus, if this system works well, why not ensure from the outset that there is capability for providing support for 2G and 3G from the same towers? Counter-productive networks can be dismantled while signaling is improved with both savings in money and CO2 as well.

Surely I can’t be the only person to see sense in this?