The new government took office with a clear mandate to drive economic growth. It recognises infrastructure investment as essential to this goal. To succeed, it must prioritise the mobile industry as a critical enabler of national competitiveness.

The government has a proven track record in unlocking private sector investment, as seen in the fixed telecoms market. Policies such as the FTIR, Project Gigabit, and Ofcom’s wholesale market review drove unprecedented investment and competition in fibre, benefiting consumers with improved speeds, availability, and price.

Now, a similar policy shift is needed for mobile, ensuring operators can accelerate investment to improve network coverage and capacity. Mobile connectivity is more crucial than ever, with surging data demand and rising consumer expectations.

This is not just an opportunity; it's an urgent imperative for the government's growth agenda. 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. This powerful multiplier effect – a fivefold return – demonstrates the immense power of mobile to ignite the economic growth the government so desperately needs. Every day of delay means missing out on unlocking this potential.

A new study, commissioned by Mobile UK and written by Assembly, outlines the urgent policy actions required to accelerate mobile infrastructure deployment, drive industrial transformation and digitise public services – key pillars in delivering the Government’s economic growth agenda. The government's recent publication of its Planning and Infrastructure Bill was a missed opportunity, focusing on housing and data centres, which are important as they are but cannot function effectively without robust mobile connectivity.

To seize the opportunities ahead, we need swift action. Here are the key recommendations that must be prioritised:

• Repurpose ALFs to improve mobile coverage and capacity.

• Revise planning rules to facilitate network deployments.

• Implement the PSTI Act now and in full.

• Introduce a business rates holiday on new mobile infrastructure.

• Evolve the UK’s net neutrality regime.

• Support operators’ plans to switch off 2G services.

• Appoint digital champions to help expedite 5G rollouts.

• Tackle not-spots via the Shared Rural Network programme.

• Get ahead of Europe; they are also reforming policy to attract investment.

The Government must recognise the central importance of mobile connectivity while understanding the challenging investment environment. The fixed market has received attention and public investment, which has been a success, but now it is time to focus on mobile. Equally, balance must be carefully managed as to what the Government asks of the industry so as not to impinge on investment in deployment, which ultimately will enable the government to achieve its socio and economic aims.

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