Three UK, one of the leading mobile network operators, has shared its response to Ofcom’s future approach to mobile markets.
Ofcom today said it is inviting comments on two documents on — approach to mobile markets and approach to mobile spectrum — by 8 April. Ofcom plans to provide updates later this year.

Ofcom noted that demand for mobile services has grown rapidly over the last decade. People expect to access good quality mobile services wherever they live, work and travel. The mobile market has served the UK well, driven largely by competition among four national mobile network operators (MNOs).

MNOs will play a significant role. There will be an increased role for other companies in providing mobile networks and selling mobile services.

Ofcom will take steps to clarify our future regulatory approach to support investment. Ofcom proposes to set out more clearly how it has considered investment when making policy decisions. Ofcom currently has no plans to introduce any new consumer pricing rules.

Ofcom is also clarifying its position on mobile consolidation. Ofcom said its stance on a potential merger would be informed by the specific circumstances of that particular merger, rather than just the number of competitors.

Three said it has made significant investment in 5G network that is live in more than 300 locations, covering 32 percent of the population.

“UK does not have the quality of mobile infrastructure it deserves. Investment is spread too thinly across too many players, meaning our networks are sub-par by international standards,” Robert Finnegan, CEO Three UK, said.

“Moving from four to three mobile players in the UK would mean better, smarter investment in the networks which would, in turn, improve the quality and scale of connectivity in Britain.”

Three’s sister companies have merged their markets like Austria, Italy and Ireland. These markets have strong mobile networks following large-scale investment post-merger. Three UK will be sharing more details with Ofcom during the consultation.

Seven of the top 10 European countries in Connect’s 2020 testing of network quality were three player markets. Two of the four player markets on the list (Sweden and Denmark) feature only 3 mobile networks due to network sharing agreements.

Comparatively, the UK ranks 18th out of 28 European countries (Connect 2020) and 29th of 37 European countries (Tutela 2021) in terms of mobile network quality.