the phoney war

4G networks are on the way but operators are still thinking about 3G as they decide how they are going to fight the next set of battles, writes Chris Edwards. FROM THE euphoria and irrational exuberance that surrounded 3G when the first government licences were awarded at the end of the 1990s, high-speed cellular service deployment has progressed slowly. Some operators, such as O2 in the UK, have only just met their obligations to government to roll out 3G services. After receiving a slap on the wrist from regulator Ofcom in February, O2 managed in May to extend its network far enough to cover 80 per cent of the UK population.