The report looks into the challenges faced by the industry in bringing about a step change in the sector’s capacity for raising capital for significant infrastructure upgrades.
It states that: “The sector needs to boost investment by up to £25 billion to meet the government’s ambitious goals and meet the rising demand for data.”
This comes at a time when the industry faces a confluence of formidable challenges, according to Mobile UK.
“Economic pressures, regulations and shifting societal expectations have significantly eroded the industry’s profitability and its capacity to invest in crucial technologies,” the report states.
The report aims to set out the mobile industry’s critical role in underpinning the UK’s economic prosperity and how the sector is supporting vulnerable customers across the UK.
It sets out the importance of creating a positive and balanced investment environment and why this must be a key ambition for UK policymakers.
Mobile UK sets out a few recommendations to rebalance these competing demands including:
Following through on policies and actions outlined in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy such as reducing annual license spectrum fees to stimulate investment, reforming traffic management regulations and driving demand in the public sector.
Mobile UK urges further exploration of policies to remove barriers to network rollout including adequate funding of the planning system, and the implementation of digital champions within local authorities to promote the rollout and adoption of digital technologies.
The implementation of fiscal measures that will have a direct and immediate impact on improving MNO investment outlook is key – including business rates holidays for new mobile infrastructure.
Finally, Mobile UK believes the government should consider further actions that can be taken to support private capital being deployed in the UK by mobile operators – taking into consideration significant interventions in other territories and the need for operators to offer competitive returns to investors.
