Unlike 3G networks in America, with each operator opting to build out a network running on a different frequency, and in the case of Verizon and Sprint a different technology all together, in Europe the entire continent is blanketed with 2100 MHz high speed mobile broadband goodness. With new LTE networks rolling out however, that’s going to change. TeliaSonera was the first European operator to build out a 4G LTE network, and they decided to use the 2600 MHz band. Over in Germany T-Mobile opted to use the 800 MHz band that was recently made available after Europe decided to switch over from analog television to digital. More recently the European Union has legislated that operators can use the existing 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies they already own to roll out 4G LTE. This creates a terrible mess and turns Europe into a divided market and makes the lives of hardware vendors that much more complicated since they’ll need to support multiple bands.
Looking to solve the problem, at the 2011 LTE World Summit Deutsche Telekom, better known as T-Mobile, France Telecom, better known as Orange, and TeliaSonera have announced that they’re encouraging handset vendors to support the 1800 MHz band since that particular frequency has better signal propagation than the 2600 MHz band, and because they’re likely to use the 900 MHz band they already own to roll out 3G networks. That will let them setup a high speed 42 Mbps HSPA+ 3G network on one band and then an ultra high speed 100 Mbps 4G LTE network on another band so that end users, you and I, can transition between networks and not feel the difference.
This is a significant step, but two noticeable operators that haven’t joined this coalition are Vodafone and Telefónica. They’re in more markets than anyone else, and whatever they decide to do will surely be followed by everyone else. It’s safe to say that LTE in Europe is in shambled right now, but then again that’s OK since the amount of LTE devices out on the market right now is rather anemic.