We were delighted to welcome parliamentarians alongside representatives from the DCMS, industry and mobile network operators’ to our Winter Reception on 5 December.

With a warm welcome from our event host Selaine Saxby MP and chair of the Broadband and Digital Communication APPG, we were also pleased to host Minister of State for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez MP.  

After an introduction from Hamish MacLeod, CEO of Mobile UK, Selaine Saxby opened the evening. She noted the importance of mobile connectivity and highlighted that it had come up as a key issue in the recent Levelling Up rural communities’ debate.

She made a point of mentioning our ongoing Digital Champions campaign, stating her support for this as an approach to improving mobile connectivity across her Devon constituency. She also emphasised the important role that 5G will play in supporting our harder to reach communities.

She handed back to Hamish who highlighted the strong relationship between the Government and the industry, particularly during the pandemic. He further outlined recent legislative changes which the industry welcomed including updates to Permitted Development Rights and the ongoing Product Security and Telecoms Infrastructure Bill. However, he also outlined the challenges ahead and the need to look at the mobile regulatory framework, including net neutrality rules and how the Government uses annual licence fees paid by the operator, to enable long term world-class connectivity for the UK.

Hamish then welcomed Julia Lopez MP who took time to underline the importance of good connectivity in people’s lives, our local economies, and the prosperity of the UK.  

She described how the mobile sector had shown its resilience through the pandemic and how 5G, and 6G beyond it, will play a vital role in our future competitiveness as a country.  

The Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, due to be published early 2023, was also highlighted by Ms Lopez as it will lay out the next phase of the crucial 5G strategy. She ended by emphasising the commitment to create the right policy framework for wireless technology.

It was a great session and a good chance for some wide-reaching discussions by attendees from across the sector regarding many of the issues affecting our industry.

Ends