More investment in the future of high-speed broadband internet services has been promised by the European Union (EU) this week, with a focus on wireless systems.

It is expected that up to €18 million (£15.4 million) will be put into research by the EU from January 1st next year in a bid to advance the level of access to mobile connectivity across the continent.

The funds will primarily be used for the creation of next generation 4G networking technology using Long Term Evolution (LTE) Advanced systems which are thought to be capable offering speeds that are "up to a hundred times faster" than 3G.

Commenting on the announcement, EU commissioner for telecommunications and media Viviane Reding explained the move could mean devices which we know today as mobile phones are more likely to take on the appearance of mini computers.

She explained that LTE was a technology capable of bringing together "millions of new users" with high-speed broadband access and would also be great news for businesses and national digital economies.

"With LTE technologies, Europe's research know-how will continue to set the tone for the development of mobile services and devices around the globe, just as we did in the past decades with the GSM standard," Ms Reding concluded.

The move follows promises outlined in the UK's Digital Britain report earlier this year that aim to get national broadband speeds up to two Mbps by 2012 and improve access for rural communities and areas as yet unable to get a wired connection.

Categories: Broadband, Wireless Broadband

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