UK Regulator Ofcom to Tackle ‘Patchy’ Rural Cellular Coverage

LONDON – UK telecoms regulator Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it will auction two new spectrum bands towards the end of 2019 or in early 2020. It vowed to tackle the “patchy” cellular reception suffered by those living in rural areas of Britain. The Telegraph reported that that the winners of the spectrum auction will have to improve cellular coverage for 140,000 homes and offices.
The communication regulator’s Connected Nations report found that only 66pc of the UK has complete 4G coverage from four operators, up from 49pc last year. While 83pc of urban homes and offices have complete 4G coverage, the figure for rural premises is less than half that (41pc). In some remote parts of the country, there is no coverage at all. To tackle this, Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it will auction two spectrum bands in later 2019 or early 2020.