4G approval will provide much needed gateway to improved services

Everything Everywhere, the company that owns Orange and T-Mobile, has been given the go-ahead to roll out 4G in the UK.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has allowed the firm to launch the next generation mobile network any time from September this year. Industry experts welcome the decision, but say it should have been done much sooner.

Dan Wagner, CEO of mPowa, who relies on mobile broadband to deliver his service, said, “The introduction of 4G in the UK is long overdue because for far too long, the internet speeds we have had – both on mobile and to fixed locations – have been inferior to other parts of Europe and further afield. This will really enhance competitiveness in this ‘always on, always connected’ business landscape and will help companies offer much more comprehensive mobile services that are quicker and more flexible.”

Dan’s company mPowa is one that has made use of recent advances in technology in terms of connectivity and mobile commerce. mPowa uses a reader that connects to the headphone socket of a mobile phone that enables payments to be made by credit card by swiping its magnetic stripe or using Chip & PIN technology. Following its recent launch, it has already been praised for helping businesses move into the next generation of payment without being saddled with the cost of having a conventional card machine.

He continued, “We are now entering a new paradigm in business whereby we can now take advantage of these developments in technology and offer a service that reflects the needs of customers. Today’s consumers want faster and more convenient ways of interacting with businesses and paying for products. Faster, more robust connectivity will take this forward massively. I’m very much looking forward to the possibilities that 4G will bring about.”