Ofcom CEO Sharon White has pledged to ensure 98 percent of all homes and businesses in the UK can receive an indoor 4G signal by the end of 2017.
“We know mobile data is increasingly vital to businesses. So we’ve set rules to ensure that virtually all homes and offices – 98 percent – must receive an indoor 4G mobile signal by the end of next year,” she told the Federation of Small Business (FSB) National Conference in Glasgow. “That must include at least 95 percent of homes and offices in each UK nation – including Scotland.
“Providing 4G across the Highlands and Islands is more challenging, but no less important. Wherever Ofcom can help meet those challenges, we will. Today we are launching a consultation to increase the use of ‘mobile repeaters’ – devices that boost mobile signals.”
All four major operators have committed to invest a combined £5 billion to improve rural coverage as part of a legally-binding agreement to extend a basic voice and text service over 2G to 90 percent of the UK’s landmass by 2017. However full 4G coverage will only reach 85 percent by that time.
Prime Minister David Cameron recently hinted at the introduction of new legislation that would make it easier for operators to build masts and other mobile infrastructure, however Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Vaizey has told Parliament that the £150 million Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) had not been a success.
The FSB has welcomed White’s comments, claiming the organisation’s own research suggests that even when small businesses get a decent connection, their superfast broadband or mobile service is often poorer than those received by large enterprises, preventing their ability to do more online.
Recent research suggested slow broadband costs small business employees 15 minutes every single day. The government has promised a business broadband review and there have been moves to raise the universal service obligation to 10Mbps.
“Large numbers of small firms are using new digital technology to revolutionise the way they do business, but the market is still not delivering for all and this is acting as a brake on the ambitions of many businesses,” said Mike Cherry, FSB policy director. “Ofcom clearly gets the importance of small businesses – but we need to keep up the pressure and help them to deliver.
“Poor quality of service is a major barrier to firms who want to do more online. Ofcom is right to focus on raising minimum standards and making it easier to navigate the market.”
Are you up to speed on 4G? Try our quiz!
Hundreds of climate activists clashed with police outside Tesla gigafactory near Berlin, in protest over…
AI very much the focus at Google's annual developer conference, including Google Gemini and a…
Co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever to leave OpenAI, after role in Sam Altman's firing…
Electric vehicles made in China are now subject to a 100 percent tariff, to protect…
Microsoft faces formal EU antitrust charges over videoconferencing app Teams after concessions to European Commission…
Workers at New Jersey Apple Store vote against joining union as post-pandemic labour drive at…