Following discussions with TV broadcasters, Digital UK and the transmission company Arqiva, Ofcom has secured the earlier release of frequencies that were previously used for digital-terrestrial broadcasting, for 4G services.

The spectrum will now be cleared and ready for 4G mobile services across much of the UK five months earlier than previously planned, from spring 2013. This has only become possible in the past few months, says Ofcom, as a result of the significant progress that has been made to date with the digital switchover and the clearance programme itself, which has been running ahead of schedule.

Ofcom plans to start the auction process to release spectrum at the end of the year, with bidding starting early in 2013.

As an example, following intensive technical planning work, the clearance date for TV transmitters in Oxford and Waltham – which would otherwise prevent deployment of 4G mobile services to around 9m people in cities including London, Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield – will be brought forward by five months to May 2013.

Similarly, the clearance date for transmitters which impact around 1m people in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh will be brought forward by more than three months to April 2013.

Kester Mann, senior analyst, operators, at the analyst, CCS Insight, has welcomed the news. He said: “The freeing up of spectrum for 4G some five months earlier than previously planned is positive news for Vodafone, O2 and 3, as they will now be in a position to launch in spring 2013. This is great news for the UK, as consumers will sooner be able to benefit from a more competitive market for 4G services.

“However, the agreement slashes EE’s first-mover advantage and means it will need to work much harder and be more aggressive in its roll-out and marketing if it’s going to capitalise on its period of exclusivity.

“This development not only bring to an end years of wrangling and argument over the schedule to award 4G licences in the UK, but it also means any prospect of litigation or appeal to delay the process has been kept at bay.

“This is undoubtedly a great move for the UK, which has already fallen behind the 105 other countries that are currently offering commercial 4G. However, questions remain why other European markets were able to release spectrum previously held for TV broadcast sooner than the UK.”

Earlier today, Everything Everywhere revealed that it would launch its 4G service in the UK, under the EE brand, on 30 October.