Aussies and Brits have been waiting awhile for either a truly broad LTE launch or to get any LTE at all. That wait is coming to an end, but not without some grousing. UK Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey has alleged that any slow movement stemmed from carriers that have "threatened to sue" regulator Ofcom if it's too hasty and does something they frown upon. Needless to say, that remark has ruffled a few feathers: one of the earliest expected British LTE providers, Everything Everywhere, tells Pocket-lint it has "no appetite" to take Ofcom to court and drag 4G deployments through the mud. Things are going a little more smoothly in Australia, if on a later timetable. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, now expects Australia to auction off 700MHz and 2.5GHz wireless frequencies in April 2013. That could lead to a very long wait for wider 4G service in the country, but at least the 700MHz support will be good news for device makers that don't want to be mired in disputes over LTE devices they've brought over from the US.

UK pins the slow move to LTE on carriers, Australia targets auctions for April 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.