News

January 22, 2018

Mobile UK encouraged by Norfolk County Council’s new mobile initiative

Mobile UK and the four operators attended Norfolk County Council’s Digital Innovation and Efficiency Committee to discuss options put forward by the authority to better engage the industry and open up public sites to boost connectivity. The meeting was very encouraging as Councillors heard from industry representatives about the difficulties in identifying and receiving planning permission for new mobile infrastructure. This was particularly welcome as it moved away from previous policies, such as Norwich City Council’s moratorium on any mobile phone masts on council property which had been in place for 14 years, towards a much more pragmatic approach in order to encourage mobile infrastructure deployment.

Gareth Elliott, Head of Policy and Communications at Mobile UK, said:

“We are moving from a regulatory and policy environment which treats mobile as a luxury towards an understanding that mobile connectivity is now a necessity. The discussions today with Norfolk County Council were very encouraging and initiatives such as opening up public sites for mobile equipment could lead towards better enabling the roll-out of mobile networks.”

Additionally, we see a role for the County Council in using its influence among District councils to spread best practice and guidance to ensure that planning is consistent across the county and therefore providing certainty to operators when developing their infrastructure investment plans.”

About Building Mobile Britain

Building Mobile Britain logo

Building Mobile Britain is a campaign created by Mobile UK seeking to work with national and local government, as well as interested industry groups to overcome the challenges we face with expanding the existing mobile networks, while also developing innovative services for customers.

See here for further information - or #BuildingMobileBritain

Media Contacts

Gareth Elliott
Head of Policy and Communications
Tel: 07887 911 076
Email: press@mobileuk.org

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