(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Blackzheep)
Mobile coverage in the UK often falls short of expectations. EE, the country’s largest mobile operator, has announced an ambitious plan to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by 2020.
Marc Allera, EE’s CEO, stated: “For the average smartphone user, not-spots aren’t tolerated and 2G doesn’t deliver what they need. Customers want 4G speeds everywhere they go, and mobile operators are too used to saying ‘no’ to new coverage. Today, I’m saying ‘yes’, with an ambition to go further than any operator has ever gone, and with the ultimate aim of covering the whole UK with 4G.”
EE’s target would increase its current 4G footprint from roughly 60% of the UK landmass—the largest share among UK operators—to 95%. The company says the goal is to eradicate network black spots and to push the industry to measure coverage by geography rather than by population percentages, which can mask gaps in less populated areas.
Paul Carter, CEO of GWS, notes: “By using terms like ‘landmass’ EE is implying this investment will result in coverage expansion beyond its current network. Expanding the network footprint is certainly necessary, but operators must not overlook gaps within cities and dense urban areas. During testing this year in London, Liverpool and Manchester we identified dead zones in shopping centres, tourist areas, on trains, in stations and other locations where hundreds of thousands of people rely on mobile service daily.”
Rival networks point to regulatory and planning restrictions as key barriers to building the new masts and sites needed to eliminate black spots. EE agrees that policy reform is required—specifically changes to the Electronic Communications Code—to support operators’ coverage ambitions. The operator also calls on industry stakeholders, government and Ofcom to align incentives to make investment in mobile infrastructure more attractive.
“Mobile network operators should receive some of the site access and lease benefits typically available to utilities, such as simpler access to private land and more affordable lease terms,” Carter adds. “Earlier this year the government announced plans to let operators build masts up to 25 metres high without planning permission — a measure that could significantly improve coverage. Reform is increasingly necessary because current regulation is holding back crucial developments in the UK’s wireless capabilities, which in turn could harm businesses and consumers.”
BT, the UK’s largest fixed-line broadband provider, was cleared to acquire EE in January. Paul Evans, CEO of Boosty, says the merger could strengthen connectivity options for consumers: “The combination of EE and BT holds promise for UK customers, with internet access availability likely to improve. As EE expands 4G to cover 95% of the UK landmass by 2020, BT-EE could also enhance the reliability and speed of fixed broadband services.”
Evans explains that expanding fibre networks is a costly, time-consuming challenge, especially in remote or densely packed urban locations. Mobile coverage, by contrast, has expanded rapidly in recent years and continues to grow. That trend creates opportunities for hybrid access solutions that combine 4G with fixed-line broadband, a model that suits the BT-EE combination. Hybrid solutions can deliver more resilient broadband for consumers by maintaining fast connections even during fixed-line outages, and customers who use both BT broadband and EE mobile may soon explore hybrid offerings to improve their overall experience.
EE also announced that it has activated 4G coverage in Shetland and the Isles of Scilly—locations nearly 1,000 miles apart—using fibre links deployed by BT. That progress will benefit consumers and intensify competition, though rivals may find it difficult to match the scale of EE’s investment.
Hutchison, the owner of Three UK, has sought to acquire O2, arguing the move would help it remain competitive against the BT-EE group. The proposed deal has faced regulatory scrutiny because it would reduce the number of major mobile operators in the UK to three. To win approval, Hutchison has offered concessions, including promises to invest more in networks and to enable other meaningful market entrants to access its infrastructure, with the aim of preserving competition.
26/04 Update: Commentary from Paul Carter, GWS, has been added.
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