Jane Bradley: 4G mobile broadband is welcome for rural dwellers

IT wasn’t too long ago that no-one had heard of 3G and were just grateful if their phone supplied them with a bit of lumbering internet alongside the call and text messaging services, writes Jane Bradley

But this week, the now old hat 3G mobile broadband speed was forgotten as the much-anticipated 4G network looked likely to come to the UK – and, according to telecoms experts, is set to revolutionise our lives.

Perhaps the most headline-grabbing consequence of the announcement is that the introduction of a 4G network as early as later this year could potentially allow purchasers of the new iPad to utilise all of the functions of their latest toy.

For while the gadget had a few other updated facilities, the fundamental difference between it and its iPad3 predecessor was the 3G to 4G upgrade, promising internet faster than a speeding bullet. but the catch was that it was not available in Britain.

The submission to Ofgem by mobile phone operator Everything Everywhere to use its existing spectrum to deliver 4G services does not mean a deal with iPad is necessarily on the cards – but it could be, and that’s what matters. The firm’s acceptance by Ofgem could also pave the way for other operators to jump on the bandwagon.

However, for Scotland, the knock-on effects could be much greater. A 4G roll-out is likely to mean that rural dwellers currently struggling on without a viable fixed-line broadband connection could use their phones or tablets for almost “proper” internet access – a facility which is counted as a basic human right by a recent United Nations Human Rights Council report which concluded that restricting access completely will always be a breach of article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

And while no-one is actually stopping people in rural areas from accessing the internet, doing without it is fairly tricky.

Although mobile broadband is not ideal – and can work out far costlier than a fixed broadband connection to boot – this revelation might just might prove to be a saviour for those living in remote locations.