Ministers and mobile networks to hold 4G crisis talks

Mobile network operators are set to meet with the government today (October 2nd 2012) in an attempt to stave off the threat of legal action hanging over the UK's plans for super-fast 4G mobile broadband.

Fears that legal wrangling will delay the rollout of 4G networks have been sparked after the likes of O2 and Vodafone expressed their opposition to Everything Everywhere's planned early introduction of the technology.

Everything Everywhere, the owner of Orange and T-Mobile, is set to deploy 4G networks to 16 cities by the end of this year, but rival operators must wait for the forthcoming 4G spectrum auction to launch their own services.

New Culture Secretary Maria Miller, who will chair this afternoon's meeting, is hoping to quell the potential legal threat by opening up the possibility of moving the auction forward by several months.

The sale was not expected to take place until at least October 2013, but it could now be held as early as next May, reports Sky News.

If the proposals go ahead, O2 and Vodafone would be able to compete with Everything Everywhere sooner than anticipated.