Ofcom, the communications regulator, is advising the Government that the time is right to free up some 2G spectrum for 3G services, including mobile broadband. The specific frequencies are 900MHz and 1800MHz.

These are currently licenced to O2 and Vodafone exclusively and it was always competition issues that stopped any progress being made with regards to the carrying of 3G on these frequencies.

However with the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK to form Everything Everywhere, and their network sharing plans which are already underway, the competition argument carries much less weight.

2G, particularly on the 900MHz frequency, is already well established even in rural areas. Switching on 3G on this frequency would provide instant benefits for consumers who are currently struggling to get a decent 3G signal.

The possibility of this change happening swiftly is increased by Ofcom's latest statement but there is no indication whether the Government's original date for settling this matter of the end of 2011 will be brought forward.

We are able to offer mobile internet broadband from £12.77 per month (plus VAT) including a FREE USB modem stick. This provides you with a usage limit of 3GB per month - more than enough for the average business user.