Mobile UK welcomes the reaffirming today, via a joint statement, of commitments made by the landowner community and the telecoms sector to work together to enable the industry to build out its networks quickly and cost-effectively to help support the Government’s ambition to be a leading digital economy underpinned by world-class mobile connectivity.

Building mobile networks is a complex and costly operation and delivering in harder to reach areas where the economics and topography are challenging is even more difficult. However, the industry has and continues to invest heavily in expanding their networks’ capacity and coverage and is currently preparing the UK for the next generation of mobile technologies.

But the industry cannot do this alone.

Finding suitable and cost-effective sites to install equipment is critical to the deployment of mobile infrastructure, especially in harder to reach areas. The Government recognised this and reformed the Electronic Communications Code (ECC) to make sites easier and cheaper to install but this requires the active participation of landowners to work in partnership with operators. Yet since the ECC commenced in December 2017, there have been problems with negotiations with landowners progressing. While some initial uncertainty is to be expected the landowner community must recognise the importance of working collaboratively together, both during this transition period and moving forwards.

Mobile UK, therefore, welcomes this commitment today from the CLA, RICS and others to reaffirm the commitments made to each other in OFCOM’s Code of Practice.

Hamish MacLeod, Director and Mobile UK, said:

“Achieving the Government’s ambition of becoming a leading digital economy relies on boosting coverage and capacity, which can only be achieved if landowners work together with the telecoms sector as per the reformed Electronic Communications Code and the Ofcom Code of Practice. We welcome the publication of the statement jointly with the DCMS, RICS, and the CLA reaffirming these commitments.”

Notes to Editors

1. Copies of the joint statement can be found at here.
2. Mobile UK is the voice of the United Kingdom’s mobile network operators - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Web: http://www.mobileuk.org/ Twitter: @MobileUK_News