Planning delays putting London’s growth at risk warns Virgin Media O2, after being forced to switch off dozens of mobile sites in the capital

• Virgin Media O2 has been forced to switch off dozens of mobile sites across London because of an outdated planning system, leaving busy areas blighted by poor quality mobile coverage
• Mobile operators are being forced to remove equipment from buildings faster than it can be replaced, due to planning rules and operators struggling to find suitable alternatives sites.
• Virgin Media O2 is calling for planning rules to be updated to ensure operators can provide reliable coverage in the capital and support growth

Outdated planning rules are holding back mobile connectivity in the capital and putting growth at risk, warns Virgin Media O2 as it calls for urgent reform.

Mobile operators have been forced to close dozens of mobile sites across London as a result of planned development, with Virgin Media O2 calling for urgent change to the planning system to improve mobile connectivity in the capital.

Developers looking to rebuild or revamp a building that currently houses mobile equipment can serve a mobile operator with a ‘notice to quit’, forcing them to remove their equipment within 18 months. On average, it takes more than two years to replace a site, with some offline for more than seven years, which means equipment is being removed faster than it can be replaced.

While planning red tape holds up the deployment of masts in various locations, in London there are typically few viable alternative sites nearby or lengthy approval processes for sites that are suitable, which is causing coverage gaps and weak signal for customers.

Virgin Media O2 is sounding the alarm after being told to vacate key sites in the City and West End, leaving high footfall areas with reduced coverage despite the operator having the equipment and investment ready to deploy new sites and plug the gaps.

It warns that operators are experiencing delays in securing approval for replacement locations, meaning that new alternative sites are not being found fast enough. With just one in five planning departments across the UK fully staffed[1], delays in decision-making are leaving many areas without sufficient coverage.

To compound the problem, many new developments are being built with little consideration of their impact on mobile connectivity. Tall buildings may block existing masts and bring more people into an area, almost all of whom will want to use their phone, but developers aren’t required to assess how a project will impact mobile services or support operators to find alternative sites.

This is creating a perfect storm for mobile connectivity in London, which now has fewer than 7 5G sites per 10,000 people[2], lagging behind other major cities and falling short of what’s needed for a thriving capital.

Industry body, Mobile UK, recently published a report which found that small changes to the planning system could unlock up to £230bn for the economy by 2025 while freeing up local authority planning teams to tackle other issues like housebuilding.

Targeted changes to planning rules will make a big difference to mobile coverage

Virgin Media O2 is calling for targeted changes to the planning system to better support mobile infrastructure deployment. This includes ensuring the National Planning Policy Framework clearly prioritises telecommunications infrastructure as a driver of economic growth, alongside reducing the number of applications requiring full planning or prior approval to ease pressure on local authorities.

The operator is also calling for greater flexibility to deploy infrastructure more efficiently, including encouraging the use of rooftops, particularly in conservation areas and increasing the number of antennas permitted under existing rules to enable faster 4G and 5G upgrades.

In addition, Virgin Media O2 believes that new developments should be required to consider their impact on mobile connectivity from the outset, ensuring appropriate infrastructure is incorporated early in the process to maintain and enhance coverage. The operator has submitted these policy asks to Government as part of its National Planning Policy Framework consultation, with a response expected in the coming months.

Professor Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said:  “Mobile connectivity is critical to how people live and work but in London essential equipment is being removed faster than it can be replaced with planning rules pummelling mobile coverage in the capital. Mobile operators are being hit by a double whammy as developers force them to remove mobile equipment while also bringing more people into an area, all of whom rely on their phones.

“With planning teams under real pressure, delays in approving replacement sites are having a direct impact on customer experience in parts of the capital which poses a real risk to London’s long term growth prospects.

“This year, we’re investing more than £700m in our mobile network through our Mobile Transformation Plan. Planning rules must evolve so that this investment goes into building infrastructure and delivering a reliable network for customers – not into delays, fees and compromised site choices.”

[1] Unison, Planning for Change

[2] Mobile UK, Small Changes, Big Rewards