PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
4G (8 September 2014)

The UK has a highly competitive mobile market offering consumers some of the best choice and value in Europe. Ofcom's design of the 2013 spectrum auction supported a competitive market with four wholesale mobile network operators. All of the operators have launched their services and there are now upwards of 5 million subscribers to 4G services in the UK. Despite only one of the operators having a coverage obligation on their licence to be met by 2017, all of the operators have announced their intention to reach 98% of the UK population by the end of 2015. The Government has taken steps to reduce the cost of rollout of mobile infrastructure including through planning reforms introduced in summer 2013 and we are considering what more can be done.