Mobile UK, the industry body representing the UK’s mobile network operators (EE, VMO2, and VodafoneThree), welcomes the publication of the Government’s Mobile Market Review, published by Baroness Lloyd of Effra CBE, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This timely review rightly prioritises mobile connectivity as a cornerstone of national growth and initiates a critical discussion on the long-term health and sustainability of the UK’s mobile infrastructure market.

A Timely Strategy for National Ambition

The mobile sector stands at a critical inflection point, facing a challenging investment environment shaped by rapid technological change and wider economic pressures. Today’s announcement signals a significant shift in policy focus, acknowledging that world-class connectivity is "not optional, it is essential" for a prosperous and inclusive UK.

Mobile UK is pleased to see the Government formally recognise several key pillars that align with our public position:

• Improving the Investment Environment: The review’s focus on the "challenging investment environment" and the need for a framework that supports long-term investment is a vital step towards addressing the high costs of deploying advanced 5G
• Spectrum and Regulatory Costs: We welcome the exploration of how spectrum policy and Annual Licence Fees (ALFs) can be improved to better enable innovation. Reducing regulatory burdens is essential for freeing up capital for network deployment.
• Net Neutrality and Innovation: The review’s openness to evolving net neutrality rules to support new business models—such as network slicing and differentiated services—is a positive move towards allowing operators to manage traffic more efficiently and unlock new revenue streams.

Planning Reform: A Critical Interdependency

Crucially, Mobile UK stresses that for this Review to be successful, it must go hand in hand with the Government's ongoing consultations on planning reform. Modernising the regulatory and investment landscape is only half the battle; without fundamental changes to planning laws to reduce barriers to deployment, the industry cannot deliver the physical infrastructure required to meet the UK's 2030 ambitions. It is critical that these two workstreams are aligned to ensure the UK can finally back up its digital aspirations with real-world results.

Hamish MacLeod, Chief Executive of Mobile UK, commented:

The Government has rightly identified growth as a priority. We welcome this timely review and its acknowledgement that world leading mobile infrastructure is the backbone of the growth mission. By addressing the barriers to investment—from regulatory complexity to the pace of infrastructure rollout—we can ensure the UK’s mobile connectivity will support the UK being globally competitive in the years to come.

Next Steps

Mobile UK will be coordinating a comprehensive response to the Call for Evidence. We are committed to a partnership with the Government that delivers the secure, resilient, and high-quality connectivity that every community and business in Britain deserves.

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