Cornwall becomes the first county in the UK to get to test 4G mobile network connectivity under a trial announced by BT and Everything Everywhere.

Around 200 customers from St Newlyn East and South Newquay who currently have very little or no access to broadband, would get to try their hands on 4G speeds via through fixed lines and mobile network.

Connections haven’t yet been assigned to the 200 trial customers, but according to IT new site The Register, they have been told that engineers from BT will be dropping off routers for fixed line connections, along with antennas. Mobile customers will be receiving dongles for their laptops. Customers will be able to connect at 4G speeds at distances of up to two base-stations, i.e. within an area of 25 sq. km.

Controlled testing has been going on for over a year now, but the two telecom giants are putting the 4G technology to test to check on its performance and to test how this technology may be best used to fill the broadband-less 'not-spot' zones in rural areas of the UK.

Nigel Stagg, BT Wholesale chief executive told ZDNet UK: "BT is committed to working with the government and using technology innovation to find ways of addressing the remaining challenges within the UK where there are still broadband not-spots", reports ZDNet UK.

4G doesn't strictly speaking offer greater speed compared to its immediate predecessor 3G, but it does offer greater flexibility in terms of ability to use wider bands and granular control over radio usage.