At Virgin Media O2, we’re investing around £2m a day into our mobile network, equivalent to approximately £700m this year, to enhance reliability, speed and coverage as part of our Mobile Transformation Plan.
This major boost for the mobile network will deliver a step change in performance and help provide the best possible experience for customers – yet planning rules are often one of the biggest challenges we face when it comes to mobile infrastructure deployment.
Outdated planning regulations need to be changed to reduce the number of applications requiring full planning or prior approval. Removing this red tape would not only speed up deployment but also ease pressure on local authorities. We also want 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 major cities we frequently see mobile infrastructure being removed faster than it can be replaced. Developers looking to redevelop 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.
We’re calling for the National Planning Policy Framework to clearly prioritise telecommunications infrastructure as a driver of economic growth, and include a requirement for new developments to consider their impact on mobile connectivity from the outset.
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.
