The UK mobile telephony market is competitive enough, UK
communications regulatorOfcomsaid today, ruling out a a formal market review of the
sector.
Mobile network coverage in the UK was generally good but some
problems persisted in rural areas, Ofcom said, as it published the
first maps
of 3G network coverage by the UK's five mobile network
operators.
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Photos: True Picture of your Mobile 3G Coverage <<
Ofcom said consumers were increasingly using mobile networks to
access the internet on their computers via a dongle or 3G
datacard.
There were over two million new connections to mobile broadband
between February 2008 and February 2009, it said.
Ofcom would focus on persistent so-called "not-spots", where
areas have poor or no reception, and try to facilitate better
mobile coverage.
It said it will help government proposals to make more spectrum
available for mobile broadband as well as improve 3G coverage on
key transport routes.
It would also research the technical quality of service, such as
mobile broadband speeds, that consumers receive from mobile
devices.
Ofcom's view is based on a market analysis which forms part of a
consultation
on call termination rates due to close on 29 July. Termination
rates are the wholesale charges that operators make to connect
calls to each others' networks.