Proposed increase in spectrum fee threatens UK 4G roll-out

LONDON, UK: Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding Ofcom's proposal to increase annual licence fees for the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands in the UK:

"The GSMA is concerned that Ofcom's proposal to more than quadruple annual licence fees - from £24.8 million to £138.5 million for the 900MHz band and from £39.7 million to £170.4 million for the 1800MHz - will jeopardise mobile operators' ability to upgrade their networks for 4G services in the UK."

"According to a recent report by the GSMA, Europe is lagging significantly behind the U.S. in terms of deployment of next-generation wireless infrastructure. 4G represented 19 per cent of U.S. connections compared to less than two per cent in the EU at the end of 2013. However, improvement in 4G deployment can only be realised with long-term investment from the industry.

"Any lag in 4G roll-out could potentially put UK businesses at an international disadvantage and deny consumers access to the latest mobile services."