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Clear Mobitel to Carry Out Trial of Advanced LTE Broadband Radio Solution at Caradon Hill in Cornwall
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The UK wireless broadband provider Clear Mobitel plans to carry out the country’s first LTE trial using the 800 MHz digital dividend spectrum. The LTE trial, which will be conducted in East Cornwall, is aimed at assessing the performance of LTE as a viable technology to provide high-speed broadband services in the rural areas. The company will test solutions based on its own LTE end-user devices in an effort to connect so-called 'not spot' rural area consumers that currently either have no broadband or poor broadband service. Clear Mobitel has been working for over a year to attain a licence to conduct trials in the 800 MHz band in Cornwall, where the digital switchover was completed in April 2009.

Clear Mobitel Ltd (CM) whose headquarters are in the UK has today announced its intention to conduct the UK’s first live consumer trial of Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology in the 800MHz Digital Dividend spectrum. This radio frequency band was previously occupied by analogue TV transmissions until the digital switchover in the South West which was completed in April 2009. Clear Mobitel will conduct the LTE trial in a zone which is centered on the Caradon Hill area of East Cornwall. The purpose of the trial is to assess the performance of LTE to provide viable solutions in providing high speed broadband services to the rural consumer.

CM will be trialling solutions based on its own LTE end-user devices to connect so-called “not spot” rural area consumers that either have no broadband or poor broadband service currently.

CM has been working for over 12 months to attain a license to operate in the 800MHz band in Cornwall. Harpal Mann CEO and Founder of Clear Mobitel commented, “This trial is one of the most important projects in the company at present. This is not just a trial of rural broadband solutions based on LTE for Cornwall, it is a trial which has global ramifications for rural economies that have been shattered by the effects of the global recession.” The company’s Regulatory Affairs Director Andrew Elston said, “This trial marks an important step forward in assessing how LTE can make a valuable contribution in delivering solutions to meet the rural high speed broadband challenge. Cornwall is an excellent area to conduct such a trial given it is deeply rural in nature and also the fact that the 800MHz band is largely dormant due to the completion of the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial TV transmission. We are looking to gather vitally important data about such a deployment scenario using LTE technology during this trial and how it can assist in providing the benefits of high speed broadband to all rural consumers.”

This announcement adds to the achievements of Clear Mobitel in this technology. It has already achieved a recommendation of allocation in the 2600MHz band in Jersey to operate a 4G LTE network from the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority (JCRA). JCRA Chief Executive Chuck Webb commented on Clear Mobitel’s announcement, “We would congratulate Clear Mobitel on its announcement regarding conducting the UK’s first live 4G LTE consumer trial in the 800MHz Digital Dividend spectrum in the mainland.

Clear Mobitel was awarded a telecommunications operator licence in Jersey in 2009 and subsequently achieved a 20 + 20MHz FDD channel block recommendation of allocation in the 2600MHz band from the JCRA following an extensive consultation on the same band last year. We look forward to Clear Mobitel executing on its plan to provide high speed 4G LTE broadband services in Jersey in the near future.”