Experts think Rural Coverage should be included in 4G Auctions

The 800MHz radio spectrum holding’s forthcoming auctions, according to a number of experts in the United Kingdom, need to include provisions, which require mobile network operators to engage a part of any spectrum bought by them for mobile broadband coverage in the rural areas.

This view is very much significant in the United Kingdom today, as it can greatly contribute to the bridging of the digital divide that is currently intimidating the country.

The telecoms director at PwC, Brian Poterill said that he though it was important the auctions accommodated those requirements as well for ensuring a widespread broadband internet coverage; particularly noting that the process had been successfully implemented in other nations.

Poterill added that some sort of rural broadband mechanisms shold be present in the aunctions for the 800MHz spectrum. According to him, Sweden has already shown the way where a frequency chunk bore an innovative requirement of inveting in the rural area.

Meanwhile, the public policy head at Arqiva, Julian McCougan agreed that was vital for the operators of the mobile networks would hardly have any desire to deploy in rural areas themselves since there would seldom be any economic reason to support that.

Another expert, Mark Swarbrick, the UK spectrum policy head at DCMS said that the government did not have any plan for enforcing rural mobile deployments, although noted alongside that this could be addressed by an upcoming consultation by Ofcom.

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