Isle Of Man 4G Comes Closer As Manx Telecom Agrees Huawei Deal

The arrival of 4G services in the Isle of Man is one step closer after Manx Telecom agreed a deal with Huawei for equipment to power its LTE network, which is due to launch in the first half of 2014.

The company, which also offers fixed line broadband services and operates a data centre on the island, will deploy Huawei’s SingleRAN LTE technology, which will allow it to use much of the same infrastructure as its 2G and 3G networks, reducing operating costs and environmental impact.

Huawei has so far won 217 commercial LTE contracts and has deployed 102 networks across the world, more than any other vendor, and recently announced plans to invest £374 million into the research of 5G technologies.

Isle of Man 4G

“A world class telecoms infrastructure is always high on the list of priorities for inward investors, so it’s vitally important that the Isle of Man keeps pace with other leading jurisdictions by introducing 4G,” said Allan Bell, Chief Minister of the Isle of Man,. “I welcome the news that Manx Telecom plans to launch its 4G network next year, and that they are collaborating with a world class 4G technology provider.”

Manx Telecom, along with rival Sure Isle of Man, were both awarded 800MHz and 1800MHz spectrum, along with access to the 2.6GHz band should the need arise in the future, by the Manx government last month.

Both are required to launch before July 2014 with 33 percent coverage, which must be extended to 95 percent within two years, although Manx Telecom is confident its £10 million investment will ensure it beats both of these targets.

It says the rollout of Huawei technology will also improve its 2G and 3G services – which it claims are already better than its rival.

“We have selected the best supplier, and the most advanced solution, which offers the flexibility we require to ensure that we can continue to offer our customers a world class service,” claimed Mike Dee, Manx Telecom CEO. “Our customers can rest assured that we will continue to provide the island’s best mobile service and coverage, just as they have come to expect and enjoy with our leading 2G and 3G service.”

EE launched the first 4G network in the UK last year, with Vodafone and O2 rolling out competing LTE services in August. Three’s 4G service will go live in December at no extra cost to subscribers.

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