4G is vital because mobile traffic will increase 500% over the next five years, says Ofcom, as it lays out plans for the expected $4bn auction of 800MHz spectrum licenses which has been delayed for two years.
The action is now expected by the end of 2012, allowing 4G services to start in late 2013.
The auction has been delayed by legal objections from Vodafone and O2 over the amounts of spectrum they are allowed to buy.
Ofcoms’s concern has been to keep some of the spectrum available for a fourth operator – either 3 or someone else.
In its latest proposals it says it will not keep some spectrum for the France Telecom/Deutsche Telecom jv called Everything Everywhere.
Japan, the US and Germany have partial 4G services up and running.