BT claim £230bn in economic benefits from UK mobile coverage improvements

A study released today by BT shows that up to £230bn of economic benefits could be released by 2035 through the delivery of a highly resilient, high capacity, mobile network that covers the entire UK. The report is calling on the UK Government to step up support for this by releasing more spectrum for mobile networks and making amendments to the planning system. BT envisage that this new spectrum could be used for 5G Standalone (5GSA), which is a fully 5G enabled network (not using the existing 4G core network) and in the future, 6G services.

Currently, 1.1GHz of spectrum is used for mobile services in the UK, but the report is calling on the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to put a pathway forward to double this to 2.2GHz. It’s expected this could be achieved by opening up the 3.8-4.2GHz range (currently used for fixed wireless links (FWA), private 5G networks and some older C-band based fixed satellite services), the upper 6GHz band (this is being considered for either Wi-Fi or mobile use), and 600MHz spectrum (used for wireless microphones, which are being moved out, and previously was used for digital TV broadcast).

The report goes on to provide estimates of how specific areas of the country could see economic benefits:

“We’re proud to be the biggest investor in the UK’s networks, having spent billions in the last five years to deliver improved connectivity for communities in every corner of the UK. But the way we use mobile connectivity is evolving, and as the demands on network capacity increase and retail pricing remains comparatively low, greater support is needed to unlock more private sector investment.

To deliver the networks the nation needs for the future, we need greater collaboration with the government and regulator, as well as support from local communities and councils – so that everyone in the UK can reap the life-changing benefits connectivity brings. Reforming planning laws and opening up spectrum access would help accelerate the deployment of these critical networks.

This report proves that delivering secure, reliable and powerful mobile networks brings enormous value to consumers and businesses, fuelling the UK economy.”

Howard Watson, Chief Security and Networks Officer, BT Group

The full report ‘Driving Growth: The £230bn Opportunity of Improved Mobile Networks‘ provides some further detail on how they see the economic growth being delivered.