There is an ongoing saga relating to the available spectrum for UK mobile broadband services. It was hoped that the operators would come to agreements without the regulators being required to assist. There is a high spectrum which is currently used by O2 and Vodafone. This is an in demand frequency among the other operators and it is still hoped that they may reach an agreement themselves.

A deadline has been set as the end of this month to reach agreements otherwise the government will get involved. This all relates to the Digital Britain report and the ability to deliver speeds of at least 2Mbps for UK residents. The networks are expected to do their bit by using UK mobile broadband networks to assist in areas where fixed line penetration may be difficult.

The spectrum that is currently operated by O2 and Vodafone is in the most demand as it is the most effective at delivering these types of services.

It is felt that the regulators will need to broker a deal as each operator has their own views on how is should be shared. It is expected that this will take some time as not only do the other operators need to agree on who will get the spectrum, but O2 and Vodafone are not particularly happy about having to share some of their spectrum.