UK - mobile broadband and regulation

Growth in Mobile Broadband to Drive Changes in Regulation of UK Mobile Industry

Adjustments to the UK regulatory framework are required given consumers' rapid adoption of mobile broadband services, according to an Ofcom-commissioned report from Analysys Mason, the premier advisers on telecoms, IT and media.

The study, which forms part of Ofcom's 'Mobile Sector Assessment' consultation, considers the recent dramatic increases in data service usage, which could accelerate over the next five years, and this ubiquitous mobile broadband access may change the nature of the mobile proposition. Widespread access to 'real' Internet-based services from laptops and mobile handsets, as well as the development of new applications based around mobile IP connectivity, would offer considerable additional value to UK consumers and businesses.

"The current UK regulatory framework governing the delivery of mobile services was established to promote competition in infrastructure-based services that were delivered solely through mobile communications networks," says Mike Grant, partner at Analysys Mason. "With users increasingly focussed on consumption of content across multiple networks, adjustments to the UK regulatory framework are likely to be required if the benefits of the emerging trends are to be fully realised."

The Analysys Mason report developed four possible scenarios for the evolution and development of the mobile industry over the next ten years. The scenarios, based on discussions with major industry players, provide insight into the dynamics of the sector and how different players in the value chain may fare under different assumptions.