iPhone 12 may not support 700MHz band, causing concerns in the UK telecom industry

According to the information currently available, 5G will become an important feature of the iPhone 12 series, and the new communication technology is expected to bring high-speed connections to consumers.

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Depending on the technology deployed by Apple, the iPhone 12 may not support the 5G networks of some operators. In an interview with The Telegraph, several analysts said that Apple's new phone does not support the 700MHz 5G band, which may prevent Apple and operators using it to build networks to fully cooperate. Operators are expected to participate in the 700MHz spectrum auction organized by the UK national regulator Ofcom in early 2021.

Citing a Reuters report in September this year, after a four-year project involving the retuning of nearly 20 million television sets, the UK has now cleared the 700 MHz radio frequency band, which will be auctioned in January next year for 5G networks.

The British government said that the release of these spectrum resources will help increase the total spectrum resources available for mobile services in the UK by nearly one-fifth. Most British operators are currently waiting for the auction to deploy. However, one exception is Three, which has a considerable amount of 5G spectrum. Even if the iPhone 12 does not support the 700MHz spectrum, it can still use other frequency bands, which gives Three a considerable advantage.

This is similar to the situation during the iPhone 5 launch, with carrier EE being the only one on the market with enough 4G coverage to ensure reliability.

5G analyst Simon Rockman said the rollout of 700MHz 5G networks would be "quick" after the auction "because those networks really, really need it." Rockman said the UK telecoms industry could be talking about "missed opportunities" if Apple doesn't offer 700MHz support.