Everything Everywhere, the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile has announced that throughout 2012 it will be upgrading its 3.5G HSPA+ network, and subject to regulatory approval, it will launch the UK’s first 4G LTE network using 1800MHz spectrum (and 800MHz in the Cornwall area).

The announcement also outlined the company’s intention to introduce Gigabit Ethernet into its “Backhaul” network –the part of the network that connects radio masts to network servers; i.e. the landline component of the network.

In addition to 4G, Everything Everywhere is rolling out 3.5G HSPA+ (21Mbit/s) across its network, and is conducting trials of the 42Mbit/s version of this standard.

As of yet no 4G handsets have been announced for the UK. However, plenty of manufacturers, including Nokia, are shipping 4G handsets in the USA, and so announcements of compatible devices should follow later this year.