UK mobile operators Three and EE (Everything Everywhere) are to invest £1 billion in a shared 4G network agreement. According to the Financial Times, the two companies will work together by sharing mast and backhaul transmission costs as part of the joint investment in UK infrastructure. The goal is to provide greater flexibility for the two networks to control speeds and coverage, as well as improving efficiency of provided services as a whole.
Three is the last major mobile operator in the UK to launch its 4G network, while in contrast EE plans to maintain its lead on competition. While both companies will share costs for the upgrades to 4G, "the antennas, spectrum and the core network will also be different for the two groups." This means the 4G network itself isn't being shared between the two. Three aims to have 98 percent 4G coverage in the UK by the end of 2015, whereas EE has its sights on the end of this year.
A similar deal is already in place between O2 and Vodafone. Consumers who are waiting for 4G to roll out in their area on either network will be pleased to hear that parties involved are looking at more efficient ways of extending nationwide coverage.
Source: Financial Times, via: Android Central
