In submitting our response to the Government’s 2026 Mobile Market Review Call for Evidence,  we believe this review marks a "watershed moment" for the nation, representing an unmissable opportunity to align digital policy with the UK’s economic and social ambitions.

A Critical Turning Point

Mobile connectivity has evolved from a personal convenience into Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and is now a primary driver of growth within the economy (with data suggesting it generates approximately 5% of European GDP) and serves as the essential foundation for the UK to remain competitive in the era of AI. However, the sector currently faces an "extremely challenging" investment environment, and despite providing affordable services, the UK ranks 36th globally for infrastructure quality due to a decade of falling revenues and rising regulatory costs.

Our Vision for Growth

To unlock an estimated £230 billion economic boost, Mobile UK is calling for a strategic shift toward "pro-growth" policies for the sector.

Our response outlines six key pillars to transform the investment outlook and strengthen our national networks:

• Unlock Network Investment by Aggregating Public Sector Demand: Use the Government’s purchasing power and influence to stimulate the market, improving the investment outlook while enhancing public services.

• Deregulate Net Neutrality to Accelerate Mobile Innovation: Move toward permissive regulation to foster innovation and allow the sector to diversify its commercial offerings.

• Prioritise Cost Reduction to Maximise Network Reinvestment: Reduce the near £1 billion annual burden of regulatory-imposed costs, which currently act as a "tax on connectivity," to return capital for network reinvestment.

• Reform Planning Rules to Facilitate Network Renewal: Update outdated restrictions to eliminate delays in site upgrades and infrastructure renewal.

• Prioritise Spectrum Availability to Drive Cost-Efficient Network Growth: Release new frequencies ahead of demand to provide a lower-cost path to increased network capacity.

• Direct Public Investment into Mobile Networks by Reforming Annual Licence Fees (ALFs): Reinvest these fees into CNI to extend coverage to deep rural areas, enhance power resilience, and improve rail connectivity.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 Mobile Market Review is the best chance in this Parliament to reset the trajectory of the UK’s digital landscape. By adopting these achievable reforms, the Government can help the UK catch up with international competitors and create a virtuous circle of investment and innovation.

We look forward to working closely with the Government and regulators to ensure our mobile networks can power the UK’s future prosperity

The full submission by Mobile UK can be read here.