What it is

The Fourth Generation of cellular and mobile-broadband communication. It can offer speeds up to10 times faster than the current 3G networks and will make mobile internet at least as fast as standard WiFi connections are today.

 Why it’s topical now

Last month Ofcom set out new proposals for making the 4G mobile spectrum available in the UK after the old analogue TV signal is switched off this year.

Why it’s required

The boom in smartphone ownership means demand for mobile data in western Europe is estimate to increase by more than 500% over the next 5 years.

What it will mean for consumers

Superfast mobile broadband that can be rolled out from Britain’s cities to remote villages. Ofcom is introducing measures expected to extend coverage to at least 98% of the UK population.

What happens next?

An auction of spectrum in the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands is scheduled for the end of this year.

How much is this auction worth?

It is expected to raise £5bn. Ed Richards, Ofcom’s chief executive, described the sell-off as “the most significant spectrum release in the UK for many years”.

Current testing

Two G4 trials are being carried out in the UK. One is taking place in central London, run by B2, and another run in north Cornwall, run jointly by Everything Everywhere and BT.

More information

Further details can be found on the main Ofcom website.

www.ofcom.org.uk.