Mobile UK, the trade body for the UK’s mobile operators, has urged the government to prioritise the industry as a critical engine for national competitiveness. In an article originally published on Politics Home, it suggests that world-class mobile infrastructure will play a key role in achieving the government’s ambitions for economic growth, innovation and inclusion.

“The UK’s mobile industry is poised to deliver significant improvements to mobile connectivity across the whole of the UK, which are set to power the government’s growth agenda, and we have reached a critical turning point,” said Mobile UK. “However, this potential is not guaranteed. For this wave of investment to be fully unleashed, the policy and fiscal environment must actively champion it. Outdated regulatory constraints will stall ambitious projects and deter the very investment the UK needs.”

“To realise the immense economic benefits on offer, and with new ministers in place, a true partnership between industry and government continues to be essential. Speaking as the voice for the UK’s mobile operators, Mobile UK  urges the government to prioritise our industry as a critical engine for national competitiveness,” it stated.

Mobile UK has outlined a number of key areas of reform that address key policy constraints which it says are designed to accelerate investment and fast-track the delivery of world-class entertainment.

These include:

• Taking urgent action to remove the growing logjam in digital rollout created by new building safety regulations.
• Implementing the final measures of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act to improve the efficiency of the legal process around infrastructure deployment.
• Reforming the planning system to streamline the rollout of infrastructure.
• Enabling network reinvestment of Annual Licence Fees, thereby allowing mobile network operators (MNOs) to reinvest funds into further network deployment, particularly in commercially challenging rural areas.
• Reforming net neutrality rules to enable operators to innovate and develop new services that meet the evolving needs of UK consumers and businesses.
• Reform of the business rates system, which continues to act as a barrier to investment.
• Better resourcing for the planning system – in particular, the appointment of centrally funded digital champions to help local authorities navigate complex mobile infrastructure applications.
• Reform of spectrum policy to ensure that all spectrum bands are used as effectively as possible (mobile phones use spectrum to connect to local masts so people can make calls and access the internet).

Mobile UK acknowledges that the government has a proven track record in unlocking private sector investment in the fixed telecoms market, but says it must now focus on the mobile market, ensuring that MNOs can accelerate investment in the network, unlock the mobile sector’s full potential, and drive economic expansion across the nation.

“This is not just an opportunity; it’s an urgent imperative for the government’s growth agenda,” said Gareth Elliott, Director of Policy and Communications at Mobile UK. “Right now, for every £1 invested in mobile infrastructure by operators, £5 is generated for the wider economy. This is a return the government can’t afford to miss.”

According to Mobile UK, progress has undoubtedly been made with the publication of the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy, but mobile connectivity must be firmly prioritised.

“Mobile connectivity is a vital part of our lives,” it declared, noting that a study published by property specialists Cluttons, Connecting Today for Tomorrow, revealed that nearly 90 per cent of MPs said good digital connectivity was important for increasing productivity and boosting UK economic growth, while 44 per cent of MPs said their constituents often raised connectivity difficulties (broadband and 5G) with them.

MPs such as Bill Esterson, an advisory council member of the Labour Infrastructure Forum, have highlighted the importance of mobile connectivity in driving the economy forward. “Infrastructure isn’t just about railways, roads and reservoirs,” he said. “It’s about the digital assets that underpin our national security, jobs, businesses and public services in every corner of the country.”

“There’s rightly a lot of focus on data centres driving digital growth, but we mustn’t forget about mobile connectivity. The Government’s investment in broadband and mobile coverage is positive but there’s still work to do. Why is it that one in three rural premises can’t get full 4G coverage? Much of our critical national infrastructure is located in rural areas.”

“Protecting digital infrastructure and ensuring its security is therefore a critical national priority as well as enabling economic opportunity in regions that need it most. If we’re serious about a 10-year infrastructure plan and resilient infrastructure that supports an economy that works for everyone, mobile infrastructure has to be part of it,” concluded Esterson.

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Categories: 5G, Articles, Broadband, MNO, Mobile, Policy, Regulation, Spectrum, Telco

Tags: 5G, Mobile UK