The UK government has announced an investment package worth nearly £150mln to boost 5G coverage while confirming that there is no ‘magic number’ of mobile operators.
Currently, there are four major operators, BT's EE, O2, which is owned by Telefonica and Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA)'s joint venture Virgin Media O2, Three and Vodafone, although the latter two are in merger talks that if successful would reduce the number of providers.
Investment of £150mln has been put forward as part of the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, which aims to blanket the country in standalone 5G (or, 5G-plus), by the end of the decade.
Currently, around 77% of the population has access to basic 5G from one provider, the government said.
Today’s announcement commits £8mln of the total package towards delivering broadband to 35,000 of the UK’s most remote properties.
Under the scheme, these homes and businesses would be connected via satellites, a move the government claims would be ten times faster than what is currently available to them.
An additional £40mln would be allocated towards promoting investment and adoption of 5G by businesses and public services.
According to a statement, the strategy sets out a “clear pro-investment framework” for operators by driving down deployment costs and improving demand.
“This package of measures turbocharges our progress towards becoming a science and tech superpower with a substantial initial investment in the future of telecoms,” said Technology secretary Michelle Donelan.