If there’s one thing that we can call take away from the rollout of LTE and HSPA+ networks in the USA, it’s that calling them 4G sells handsets. Right now in the UK, we’ve got (for the most part) a fully functioning 3G network, but our next generation is still some way away thanks to all sorts of wrangling between Ofcom and the carriers.

This hasn’t stopped O2 testing their LTE network in London at more than 25 sites over an area of 40 kilometres though. They’ve also liberally sprinkled the accompanying press release with mentions of ’4G’, but is their system actually going to be true 4G?

According to their data, the Samsung mobile broadband dongles given to those participating in the trial have a theoretical top speed of 100Mbps, which would see it right on the edge of what the ITU has defined as the very lowest data transfer speed for a 4G network. However, this is a straight LTE network and not LTE-Advanced, meaning it’s not the real deal just yet.

Basically then, we’re going to be following America’s lead and calling it 4G anyway, which as we already said has been successful for sales, but slightly less successful for consumers; as this study showed 24% of BlackBerry owners and 34% of iPhone owners thought their phones were already 4G capable, despite neither RIM or Apple producing a 4G device!

Back to O2. Among those participating in the trial are small businesses, John Lewis the department store and the UK division of Gizmodo. Visitors to The O2 arena will also be able to experience LTE connectivity, and O2 plan to hold several events demonstrating its ability by streaming live gigs and movies.

The trial will continue for another nine months, meaning its conclusion will coincide with the beginning of the London Olympics.