Government to crackdown on mobile 'notspots'
By Daniel Hunter The government could force mobile network operators to improve their coverage in so-called 'notspots', if they don't do it voluntarily.Around 20% of the UK has poor mobile network coverage, with 10% virtually unable to get any signal at all. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid is leading to fight to secure better coverage for the UK's rural 'notspot' areas. 'It can't be right that in a fifth of the UK, people cannot use their phones to make a call. The government isn't prepared to let that situation continue,' he said.According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 70% of business owners believe that their business would suffer if they couldn't receive decent phone signal. There are number of options available to the network operators.- National roaming - if a network isn't available in a certain area, phones will automatically connect to another network. - Infrastructure sharing - mobile networks share masts by installing their own transmitters. - Reforming virtual networks - agreements between Tesco and Virgin with single operators would be extended to all four networks. - Coverage obligation - operators are given obligated to cover a certain percentage of the country. They are left to decide how to do it themselves. The government is consulting with the mobile network operators, businesses and the public on the proposals until 26 November. But Mr Javid's campaign could be scuppered by his own party. In a Whitehall letter seen by the The Times, Home Secretary Theresa May suggests there may security implications if national roaming was adopted. The letter reads: '[It] could have a detrimental impact on law enforcement, security and intelligence agency access to communications data and lawful intercept.'The recession is over. It's time to grow!Join us from 19th - 20th November 2014 at the ExCeL Campus, London.Register for your FREE Ticket today: http://ift.tt/1uu2vN5
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