Left on hold: Why Britain's mobile networks are falling behind global rivals

The UK is falling behind other nations in the quality of its mobile networks, new research has found.

In a global ranking of mobile network connectivity, the UK came eighth after Norway, Australia, Germany and Hungary.

Singapore had the best network, just ahead of South Korea and the USA, according to VodafoneThree's Mobile Market Index (https://www.vodafonethree.com/mmi/mobile-market-index.html).

The company said Britain's performance is being held back by high energy costs, an emerging retirement gap among engineers, restrictive regulation, high spectrum charges, and intense market competition.

VodafoneThree warned the country risks falling behind as international competitors accelerate investment in mobile networks, although it said progress has been made in recent years.

The company's networks director, Andrea Dona, said, "Since the merger we have raised the bar for connectivity in the UK, eliminating thousands of not spots and providing millions of people with access to our fastest 5G speeds.

"But we cannot afford to lose momentum. Fast, reliable, and quality mobile networks are a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity."

The index found UK operators face the second-highest energy costs and the second most planning red tape.

Britain also ranked seven out of 10 for the skills pipeline required to support the roll out of more advanced networks.

VodafoneThree wants the government to support investment in mobile networks by removing regulatory and planning barriers as well as mitigating energy costs. This would bring the UK in line with other leading nations.

Andrea added, "Bringing the UK's investment environment up to the standard of our international peers could help to support public services, eliminate digital divides and enable communities to thrive."

The company is investing £11 billion across its network to reach 99% 5G Standalone population coverage by 2030.