LTE 50Mbps Wireless Internet In Rural Wales

All the folks in Wales be speedin along now, just a chuggin with brand new Arqiva and Alcatel Lucent carriers utilizing Long Term Evolution masts through the Preseli Mountians. Soon testing will begin to see if it'll be economically viable to bring internet to all those homes that otherwise had slow internet or no internet connection at all. A 800MHz spectrum left over from the digital TV switchover in the area will be used for the trial, this then to go on auction to network providers in 2011.

Theoretical speeds for LTE is of course up to 50Mpbs, which is basically hella fast, but also... you know... theoretical. The thing that is especially important in this situation is the 800Mhz band that can both easily penetrate walls and travel further distances than any internet signal before, allowing all those herders in the outer reaches access to SlashGear! How nice!

O2 is taking a stab at a similar service, offering 100Mbps downloads and LTE to Slough, their home borough in Berkshire, England. There Arqiva aims to give sweet speeds to "country-dewlling folk."

MD of Arqiva's Government in Mobile & Enterprise business Steve Holebrook spoke thusly on the matter: "Arqiva's heritage in rolling-out projects of critical national infrastructure is matched by our long-standing commitment to providing solutions that are universal in their delivery. We firmly believe that the combination of LTE technology, the 800MHz spectrum and a neutral-host commercial model is the best way of providing rural communities with broadband quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively."

[Via TechRadar]