Monday, February 3, 2014

Three and EE to share 4G LTE infrastructure and costs

Carriers will reportedly build next stage of their LTE networks together

UK mobile operators Three and EE are set to work together on the next part of their 4G LTE networks, according to a report from the Financial Times. The FT reports that the largest and smallest major UK carriers will share masts and backhaul transmission costs as part of a deal that'll see £1 billion ($1.63 billion) being jointly invested.

The agreement covers cost and infrastructure sharing, however there's "greater flexibility" for both EE and Three to control the speeds and coverage of their networks, according to the report. That means the entire 4G network isn't being shared between the two — "the antennas, spectrum and the core network will also be different for the two groups." The deal is also said to revise the conditions of Three's existing network-sharing agreement with EE.