Britain is lagging behind in race for connectivity, study shows

BRITAIN is falling behind in the mobile connectivity race which is hampering growth, the industry says. A study shows UK operators face the second highest energy costs and planning red tape in the race to upgrade digital infrastructure. Britain is lagging behind rivals in race for connectivity which is hampering growth Credit: Alamy Britain has finished eighth in rankings of latest study Credit: Getty America, Singapore and South Korea all beat the UK which finished eighth out of ten in competitiveness, according to VodafoneThree’s Mobile Market Index. Ministers have also been warned that the UK is falling behind rivals in the pipeline of workers with the relevant skills. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! The industry are calling for changes to planning reform to allow for the ‘era of 5G connectivity’. Faster speeds for business and consumers along with few “not spots” are just two areas of growth available to Britain. Bosses at VodafoneThree say this could be achieved if the mobile market if the UK was on a ‘level playing field’ with competitor countries, Estimates from 2023 reveal that the fast rollout across the country could be worth £7.4 billion by the end of the decade compared to a slower rollout, the sector said. Andrea Dona, from VodafoneThree, said: “Fast, reliable and quality mobile networks are a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity. “Bringing the UK’s investment environment up to the standard of our international peers could help to support public services, eliminate digital divides and enable communities to thrive.” Most read in Money Vodafone UK and Three completed their merger in May last year. Comment now