The long parliamentary campaign to bring mobile coverage to rural areas celebrated a milestone today, as OFCOM finally announced auction plans that will see broadband coverage increased to an estimated 98% of the UK population, and will vastly improve infrastructure in remote rural areas of the UK.
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell, who represents one of the largest rural constituencies in the UK welcomed the announcement as good news for the many residents across this region who currently experience poor signal.
Traditionally, up to 6 million people in Britain have been excluded from good mobile coverage, particularly in rural areas. Mr Mundell has been lobbying hard within Government to get this project moving and is pleased that OFCOM have listened to the campaign to increase the coverage. Mr Mundell also congratulated the back-bench business committee on its successful debate motion urging OFCOM to increase the coverage to at least 98 % of the population. The motion was carried unanimously at the end of a 3-hour debate.
The long-awaited auction will start later this year, but bidding will not begin until early 2013, which OFCOM say is in line with its previous timetable. The regulator says it expects consumers to ‘start getting services in late 2013’. It says its plans should see mobile broadband rolled out to at least 98% of people in rural areas across the UK, and the auction will offer the equivalent of three-quarters of the mobile spectrum currently in use - some 80% more than released in the 3G auction which took place in 2000.
This is an investment that will transform the fortunes of thousands of small and medium sized businesses, currently hamstrung by inadequate mobile phone and internet coverage. Hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, farms and businesses will get access to decent mobile and internet coverage for the first time.
Commenting on the announcement local MP David Mundell said: “This is much welcomed news for the hundreds of people and businesses across our region who have been hampered by poor reception for too long.
“Having spoken to the Chancellor he recognises that investing in rural infrastructure will help improve the local economy and improve the lives of local residents. In a region like ours modern communication technology is not just a commodity it is a necessity in the 21st century.
“The investment in mobile broadband has the potential to deliver much needed services to out lying communities that have little meaningful access to the internet at present.”