It’s been a big week for national mobility news as Ofcom revealed it will open up the 700MHz spectrum, currently used by digital TV services, to ensure that the UK is able to meet the demands of 4G services. The decision follows a similar move by the European Commission and will allow mobile networks to provide better performance at a lower cost. Ofcom estimates it will benefit the UK by £1.3bn. Highlighting the central role that mobile technology is playing in our increasingly digital economy.
Let’s dive in and see what the other key stories are from the last week:
- We’ve been talking about ‘notspots’ a lot recently, but this week Britain’s big four mobile operators (O2, Vodafone, EE and Three) have come together and pledged a group investment worth tens of millions of pounds to boost rural coverage; bringing national coverage up to nearly 90%. The move is an attempt to head off proposed new national roaming laws that could allow non-subscribers to use their networks – A proposal to be presented to the Government as soon as next week.
- On the topic of 90% coverage Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report predicts that the number of mobile devices is set to rise to 6.1 billion by 2020, meaning 9 out of 10 people aged over 6 will be connected to the internet. Unsurprisingly the growth is spurred by the Indian and Chinese markets, which collectively contributed 30 million new mobile subscriptions in just the last three months.
- Our productivity on the move is taking a beating according to a report by Ricoh, showing that a staggering three quarters of us feel we do not have the right technology to do our jobs effectively on the hoof. The research suggests that simple policy changes such as allowing easier access to company networks and training would make the biggest impact, showing that companies don’t need to spend a fortune to tech-enable their workforce.
- Finally, broadband providers have come under the cosh from consumer watchdog Which? for allegedly misleading customers on internet speeds. Currently to meet advertising guidelines the quoted speeds only need to apply to 10% of customers, as a result a quarter of consumers say they would’ve chosen a different deal if they had been given more realistic expectations on their broadband speed.
Let us know your thoughts on this week’s mobility news roundup. Is your company affected by a lack of workplace technology? Do you think the Ofcom move will help secure the UK’s digital future? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting me personally at @GrahamFranklin or Cisco at @CiscoUKI.
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