Over half of mobile broadband users unhappy with speeds

Report Highlights Serious Mobile Broadband Issues

MPs to mobile broadband providers: stop 4G auction squabbling

MOBILE broadband operators have been heavily criticised in a report released by the Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee for severely delaying the auction of 4G spectrum.

Last month, Ofcom revealed that it was pushing back the 4G auctions from the first half to the latter part of 2012, after it was unable to settle squabbles between providers.

O2 and Vodafone have both launched legal challenges to Ofcom's proposed rules for the auction, which are meant to ensure that 3 can secure a slice of the tasty, tasty 4G spectrum pie.

"Ofcom has had a very difficult job adjudicating between competing and polarised interests and we are concerned that constant disagreement and special pleading from the four mobile network operators appears to have further delayed the spectrum auction," said the Committee Chair, John Whittingdale MP.

"We believe that the basic rules for the auction which Ofcom has laid down are sensible and fair and that further delays will result in the UK falling further behind in this vital area. The auction needs to proceed as soon as possible."

Grassroots broadband

In addition, the report highlighted the need for improved access to mobile broadband services across rural Britain.

MPs said they found the "imposition of a 95% coverage obligation to be unambitious" and demanded that the target for 4G services be raised to 98% of the population.

4G mobile broadband services could provide a much cheaper solution for rural areas which lack fast broadband services at present and the Government is keen to utilise the format to meet its universal service commitments.

Whittingdale, "We believe that Ofcom needs to go further than it currently proposes by setting a condition that at least one of the new licence holders must achieve 98% coverage across the country."

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance told The Telegraph that, "The Alliance believes that the current lack of reliable broadband is one of the greatest threats to the growth of the rural economy.

"...the Government should hasten the roll-out of rural broadband, as well as ensuring the sale of spectrum enables the countryside to compete in a growing digital economy."

Using any extra funds to invest into achieving the 98% coverage the report calls for could well be a way to boost rural broadband provision without placing too much burden on any one of the mobile broadband providers.

However, one further issue thrown up by the report is the concern that Everything Everywhere will be profiting from the sale of an asset formerly in the hands of the public.

The Committee wanted Ofcom to ensure that "at least some" of the profit provided public benefit.

Please read the following notice:

This is a news article. As we don't update any news articles it may contain prices, deals or facts which are no longer available or are now inaccurate.

Please read our full disclaimer for other important information that relates to the information and service we provide and your use of this site.

If you would like to get in touch with us you can contact us here »

Threedom for Mobile Broadband Users on 3

£5 off Mobile Broadband for Orange Customers

Sky Launch Free TV for Mobile Devices

Three Announce Unlimited Mobile Broadband for PAYG

4G Mobile Broadband: UK lags Behind as Ofcom Frets

SUPERFAST mobile broadband services won't come to UK shores until at least 2013, Ofcom has confirmed.

The regulator has set the sale of the 2.4Ghz and 800Mhz wireless bands for some time in 2012.

The regulator is taking plenty of time to get the auction process right despite calls from consumers and campaigners to push the process along to see the UK catch up with the rest of the world.

4G mobile broadband services are already available in several countries around the world including Sweden, USA, Japan and Mongolia. Germany also recently completed an auction of its 4G spectrum.

It's a fix

The UK's four mobile operators - Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere (Orange and T-Mobile), and 3 - are all expected to walk away with a very similar piece of the pie after Ofcom placed limits on the amount of spectrum any one company could acquire citing "risks" to future competition if less than four operators were successful.

These rules are believed to have been drawn up in order to protect 3, the mobile phone and broadband operator which entered the market in 2002 after spending collosal sums on 3G spectrum.

The company has yet to turn a profit in its eight year history.

3's Chief Executive Kevin Russell had demanded that the rules be put in place after claiming that, "there is a risk of a strategic premium being bid to squeeze 3 out of the marketplace".

3 is relying on the 800Mhz specturm, which delivers wireless over a much larger area, to help push its services out of built-up areas into rural ones.

O2 and Vodafone both already own 900Mhz spectrum and Russell, backed up by Everything Everywhere is calling for a limit to be placed on ownership of sub-1Ghz spectrum.

Osborne's payday

Although the irony of Vodafone contributing a huge amount of cash to the Treasury would have been enjoyable, sadly there shall be no repeat of the bonanza windfall the government recieved for the 3G auction in 2000.

That auction was held at the height of the dot.com boom and netted £22.5bn for the Chancellor.

Investment in mobile broadband services suffered as a result however, with mobile broadband networks not up to scratch until many years later and operators are keen not to repeat their past mistakes. This auction is likely to raise only a tenth of the previous one.

Another countryside con?

Mobile operators say they are aiming for 4G services to extend to 95% of the population roughly in line with 3G.

Whilst this may sound like almost complete coverage, due to the low population density of rural areas such as the Lake District it actually results in large swathes of the rural map without any coverage at all.

Rural broadband campaigners have been calling for next generation mobile services to finally bring superfast broadband and mobile reception to remote locations.

It is hoped that by utilising the longer wavelength of the soon to be redundant analogue TV, 800Mhz band, 4G mobile broadband services will get to places 3G couldn't.

Improved 4G mobile phone coverage will also deliver voice services for the first time in some places, meaning if you get stuck up Hellvelyn with a Yeti after you, you may be able to call for help witout having to send smoke signals.

Please read the following notice:

This is a news article. As we don't update any news articles it may contain prices, deals or facts which are no longer available or are now inaccurate.

Please read our full disclaimer for other important information that relates to the information and service we provide and your use of this site.

If you would like to get in touch with us you can contact us here »