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Mobile broadband competition 'could boost services'
Monday 16th February 2009, by Daniel King
Mobile broadband connections could become faster and more reliable as plans to introduce universal internet access are stepped up, an expert has claimed.
Lord Carter's Digital Britain report last month outlined intentions to introduce broadband for all by 2012, allowing every household and business in the country to access speeds up to 2Mbps.
As part of his vision, the communications minister recently called for a meeting between the UK's five mobile phone network operators to discuss the sharing of the existing 900Mhz mobile broadband spectrum.
The spectrum is currently owned by Vodafone and O2, but Lord Carter hopes to reach a deal that would enable rivals T-Mobile, Orange and 3 to make use of the network for their broadband services.
Thomas Newton of Broadband Finder said this could be good news for customers, who are likely to see services improved as a result of greater competition.
"Competition ought to lead to faster speeds and better services overall as the networks bid to outdo each other," he commented.
Mr Newton's comments come after a study by Analysys Masons revealed that the mobile broadband market is set to continue its rapid growth during the next five years, with more casual users subscribing to the service.
However, he pointed out that customers are more likely to turn to mobile connections as a complement to fixed-line services rather than as a replacement, with mobile broadband unlikely to reach the same speeds offered by ADSL providers.
"With companies like Virgin Media and BT promising speeds of up to 100Mbps in the future, it looks unlikely that mobile providers will be able to keep up with such speeds," Mr Newton explained.
Categories: Broadband
