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<\/p>\nVodafoneThree\u2019s networks director says UK mobile quality is not ready for AI traffic and that planning rules, not money, are the obstacle, with more than half of its upgrades to existing masts requiring permission. The EU\u2019s Gigabit Infrastructure Act has since November given authorities four months to decide a permit, after which it is deemed granted.<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s largest mobile operator says its own network is not good enough. \u201cI am embarrassed today at the level of quality of our network,<\/em>\u201d Andrea Don\u00e0 of VodafoneThree told the Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n He was describing what happ<\/a>ens when AI traffic arrives. His comparison was the signal loss people get at a stadium, made permanent.<\/p>\n The starting position is poor. UK mobile coverage is worse than every<\/a> EU member state and every other G7 country, on Opensignal data compiled for Which?. The same analysis puts it 57th globally for network performance.<\/p>\n Money is not the obstacle. VodafoneThree has committed \u00a311B to upgrading masts, and it is cutting its mast count by 30%.<\/p>\n Almost none of the work needs a new site. About 96% of the upgrades are on existing structures, and more than half of those still require planning permission.<\/p>\n Don\u00e0\u2019s ask is procedural rather than financial. \u201cPlanning reform is the lowest possible cost growth policy, it doesn\u2019t require any government money,<\/em>\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The European Union legislated exactly that in 2024. The remedy he is describing is already on the statute book across the Channel.<\/p>\n Under the Gigabit Infrastructure Act<\/a>, national authorities have four months to decide a permit application for a very high capacity network, and the permit is deemed granted if they miss the deadline.<\/p>\n It has applied since November last year. Member states may opt out of the automatic approval, but they have to offer compensation or a right to sue instead.<\/p>\n Brussels is going further. The Digital Networks Act proposes indefinite spectrum licences, use it or share it rules, and simpler deployment in exchange for tougher coverage duties.<\/p>\n The UK is bound by none of it. Its operators also point out that mobile networks are critical national infrastructure without the reliefs data centres receive on business rates and energy.<\/p>\n Elsewhere the gap is being attacked from a different direction. A Spanish startup raised \u20ac150M to beam 5G to ordinary phones from orbit, which needs no local consent at all.<\/p>\n Which is the shape of the problem. Britain protects the building where the model runs and not the network that has to reach it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n