O2 UK increases speeds

British mobile network operator O2 UK reported it has achieved downlink speeds of 150Mbps as part of the LTE trials taking place in London.

According to T3, the maximum recorded speed, average download rates for those taking part in the trial were between 20Mbps and 50Mbps, the O2 UK said.

The operator announced the nine-month LTE pilot several months ago, noting it planned to provide hundreds of consumers, businesses and venue owners with the latest 4G technology.

O2 UK is using the 2.6GHz band under a test and development license, and as part of the project some 25 LTE-enabled base stations have been switched on, covering a combined area of 40 square kilometers, with the 4G network stretching from Hyde Park to The O2 dome in Greenwich.

The coverage area was designed to reach key areas of the capital, including Canary Wharf, Soho, Westminster, South Bank and Kings Cross.

The equipment for the radio and core network elements are being supplied by Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), while backhaul has been provided using microwave radio equipment from Cambridge Broadband Networks Limited, NEC and NSN.