ERA Project Manager, Pritesh Patel, goes through the updates in telecommunications that every business needs to know.
5G Mobile Auction Under Way
Ofcom is continuing with the auction of two further spectrum bands, following the High Court rejected legal challenges to Ofcom’s auction rules by EE and Three. The suppliers were against Ofcom applying a cap to the amount of bandwidth that suppliers can win as part of the auction.
The latest spectrum auction will pave the way for the rollout of future 5G services and improved mobile broadband services for mobile users. Ofcom hopes to start the auction in late March 2018. This is good news for ERA’s clients who are using more mobile data than ever before and once 5G services become widespread may be able to utilise data services with more flexibility than current fixed data connections.
BT told to share telegraph poles with rivals
Ofcom has brought in new rules to force Openreach to share the use of Telegraph poles and underground ducting with rival internet providers, with the hope rivals will find it easier to build their own full-fibre networks. These measures are hoped to reduce the time taken and cost of installing fibre connections. This will be welcome news to businesses that are currently experiencing delays from Openreach to install data connections which are becoming more important to businesses every day.
Ofcom investigating Vodafone and Three
Telecoms Regulator Ofcom are investigating Vodafone and Three data management (known as traffic-throttling) while their customers are abroad. The investigation will examine whether their current practices are compliant with net neutrality rules that state all traffic on the network must be treated equally.
With the growing use of mobile data, networks will continue to come under pressure to provide a good service to customers while managing their network within the rules of the countries they operate. Ofcom plans to publish its finding in June which could impact customers of these networks and the wider market.
Will Brexit end the EU “Roam like Home”
When the EU’s “Roam like Home” rules came into force on 15th June 2017, many ERA clients who work within Europe were delighted as they could now use their mobiles in Europe at the same cost as in the UK. Brexit, however, has cast a shadow of uncertainty over many areas of business and EU roaming is another, not helped by the UK Government insisting this matter is on the negotiation table after Theresa May confirmed the UK would be leaving the Digital Single Market, which oversees the Roaming rules. A spokesperson for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC: “Arrangements on mobile roaming would be subject to any negotiations; however, a future partnership between the UK and EU is clearly in the interests of both sides.”
Since the end of additional EU roaming charges it is estimated that data roaming traffic across the EU has increased by 600%, and whilst UK networks are not currently planning for a return to EU roaming charges after Brexit, the possibility remains. Some businesses have already seen increases in the cost of the UK tariffs as the networks attempt to clawback lost revenue from EU roaming.
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