O2 'pushing hard' for early 4G rollout

O2 has revealed it is "pushing hard" for the opportunity to roll out a super-fast 4G mobile broadband service as soon as possible.

The network operator is at risk of being left behind by EE, the new brand from Everything Everywhere, which is bringing 4G coverage to 16 UK cities this year.

EE's nationwide 4G deployment is set to continue throughout next year, with the service provider aiming to reach 98 per cent of the population in 2014.

An O2 spokeswoman told BBC News the company is eager to launch a 4G proposition ahead of schedule in order to compete with EE.

"We are pushing hard on behalf of our customers," she insisted. "We are hopeful we can come to some agreement to bring the current timeline forward."

O2 and Vodafone have already expressed opposition to Ofcom's decision to allow the rollout of a 4G network by Everything Everywhere ahead of the rest of the market.

Unless they are able to repurpose some of their existing 3G spectrum for 4G, both companies will have to wait for next year's spectrum auction to launch their own super-fast mobile broadband networks.