Towards the end of 2012 the UK got its first 4G network in the form of EE finally unleashing high-speed coverage in a limited number of areas. It made the ageing 3G services currently available across the country seem rather slow and outdated.

 

In the next few months we should see rival operators emerge with their own 4G offerings, since industry regulator Ofcom is close to wrapping up the spectrum auction that apportions particular frequencies to different companies.

 

2.3 billion has been generated by the auction, which is a little lower than the government had been expecting, but is nevertheless a welcome cash injection for the Treasury. It means that consumers across the country will soon be able to invest in a 4G mobile service at a competitive price.

 

Of course, those with their fingers on the pulse of the mobile industry will know that 4G data speeds and coverage are already about to be superseded by yet another generation of mobile networking technology.

 

Ofcom might be holding another spectrum auction in five years' time which will see the 700MHz frequency being sold to providers so that faster, more consistent mobile connectivity is available to a wider portion of the UK's population.

 

The main reason for this never-ending hunt for the next big networking advance is that average consumers are becoming much more data hungry than ever before.

 

Intensive tasks such as video streaming, online gaming and file downloads are already possible with 3G, but the data bottleneck means that there is often too much traffic on a network at peak periods to meet the demand, which slows things down for everyone.

 

Network providers and regulators know that the situation is going to get worse, not better, as a generation of people who grew up with smartphones emerges and puts even more pressure on our mobile broadband infrastructure.

 

If 5G is not so much about speed but about finally letting people access the content they want whenever they want it, without being slowed down because of traffic-heavy difficulties, then it will be a step in the right direction.

 

Of course, the UK has fallen behind other nations in the rollout of 4G as a result of network providers' infighting and the slow auction process. It seems sensible to start preparing for 5G now so that the country does not have to suffer from another delay.