O2 to launch 4G in UK on 29th August 2013

Mobile network O2 has announced that its 4G service will launch in the UK on 29 August.

The new network, which it claims will be up to five times faster than 3G, will be switched on in London, Leeds and Bradford first, followed by a further 10 cities before the end of 2013.

O2, which is owned by Spain's Telefonica, aims to make the service available to five million people on launch and an additional two million people per month thereafter. It aims for its 4G network to reach 98 per cent of the UK population by 2015.

It will be the second 4G network to launch in the UK, after EE, which launched its 4G services to 20 million people eight months ago across 11 cities.

O2 will therefore be playing catch-up with EE, which has also already rolled out "double-speed" 4G in 15 cities, and stated that by the end of June, it had 687,000 customers signed up to its new network.

O2 invested £550m to secure the 800MHz spectrum at the 4G auction earlier this year, but was tight-lipped on a launch date. It has, however, beaten rivals Vodafone and Three in launching 4G, and claimed that it will be differentiating itself by "bringing to life the digital experience for its customers".

It said this would start with 12 months free music content for consumers that buy a 4G tariff directly from O2.

The mobile operator will offer 4G phones such as the Sony Xperia SP, Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Nokia Lumia 925 and the BlackBerry Z10. The iPhone 5 will not initially be offered on O2's 4G network.

O2's cheapest tariff will be £26 per month, but details on what is included in the tariff and what alternatives will be available are yet to be disclosed. In comparison, EE's cheapest tariff is £21 per month, albeit with a capped data limit of just 500MB. 

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Windows 8 and the Surface tablets

Windows 8 has prompted the launch of new hybrid computers which can function as a standalone tablet or be connected to a keyboard to act as a touch-enabled laptop.

Windows 8 marks what is arguably the most radical tech launch of the year.

Microsoft aims to leapfrog the competition by offering a touch-based, dynamic, futuristic-looking interface which can run on processors designed for both high-spec computers, and chips more commonly associated with smartphones.

Its market-leading status is at stake.

More than 1.5 billion devices currently use a version of Windows, making it by far the most installed operating system, according to tech research firm Gartner.

But investors are more concerned about the firm's growth prospects amidst growing competition for customers' cash.

"We think the industry changed with the iPad launch because the tablet is effectively a PC - it doesn't need to be connected to a network to work and runs third-party applications," Steve Brazier, chief executive of research firm Canalys, says.Windows 8 introduces a new user interface designed to be operated via a touchscreen "Once you segment the market that way, Windows share of the global PC market has fallen to 72%. Three years ago that would have been over 95%.

"If you add the PC market together to the smartphone market - which we call the intelligent device sector - Windows share falls to 32%."

Windows 8 and its close relation Windows Phone 8 are designed to reverse that trend. One thing is certain: Microsoft's efforts will have industry-wide ramifications.

A study by Gartner indicates worldwide PC shipments were 8.3% lower than the previous year in the July-to-September quarter. That spells trouble for companies including HP, Dell and Acer which have seen sales decline as a consequence.

A successful launch might recharge demand, but first they must face the prospect of a challenge from Microsoft's own tablet, Surface.

Read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20044887