BT is building a new high-capacity transmission network as part of a ten-year deal to support O2’s forthcoming 4G mobile phone service in the UK. The deal between BT Wholesale and Telefónica UK will give O2 the network capacity it needs for 4G.
High-speed mobile backhaul links between O2’s mobile base stations and the new transmission network will also be provided by BT.
Adrian Di Meo, O2 UK’s Chief Technology Officer, said “With the UK’s 4G spectrum auction complete, UK mobile data traffic is set to grow by more than 400% by 2016. This is a huge opportunity for us, as well as a technical challenge. But through our partnership with BT Wholesale, customers of O2 will be backed by a high-performance mobile internet network which we believe will release the potential of 4G services and result in unrivalled mobile phone and internet browsing experiences.”