Raising the telephone game in the UK

As the iPhone 4S goes on sale drawing in a mix of new users and those upgrading, another piece of telephone news seems to have quietly slipped under the radar. Ofcom has decided to delay the 4G auction, probably until the 4th quarter of 2012.

4G is the next generation of mobile telephone specifications bringing access to mobile speeds of up to 100Mbit/s. It is likely to drive all mobile solutions from mobile broadband and wireless laptops to smart phones via secure links. Ofcom have given the reason for the delay as the need to review the multitude of in depth responses received to its initial consultation earlier this year.

Whilst on the face of it the decision to delay will merely push back implementation across the board, it does mean that by the time operators have installed new masts and tested configurations it will be well into 2013 before the UK has a 4G system up and running. With countries such as Germany and the USA already well down this route the delay could signal to the rest of the world that the UK is slipping down the technology ladder. Indeed the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, called the slippage damaging to the national interest.

One of the outcomes of the delayed implementation of 4G could be the need for businesses to review their telephone systems to ensure that they are making the most of current technology. Internet telephony linked to virtual switchboards has come a long way since the early days of the internet and many businesses are still failing to make the most of the opportunities available.

Services such as local dialling, international phone numbers, China 401 Toll Free numbers and Calling Spain packages mean that UK businesses are far more able to compete on the international stage than before. Linking these specialised telephone services to virtual switchboards means that it is easy for businesses of any size to hold their own when communicating internationally, especially if linked to a multi-language virtual assistant service.

Whilst the inception of 4G will potentially benefit most businesses, the fact that we now know of the delay means that we can be far more proactive in planning our communication strategies for the next few years.