Ofcom to look into 3G mobile broadband service quality

Ofcom to offer better mobile consumer protection

Communications regulator Ofcom is to investigate the quality of service provided by 3G networks, and in particular look into the mobile broadband speeds offered by operators.

The watchdog is to undertake research "to explore for the first time the technical quality of service - such as mobile broadband speeds - that consumers receive from mobile devices."

Ofcom also said it would assist the government on aspects of its Digital Britain strategy, specifically, "to make more spectrum available for mobile broadband as well as the work to improve 3G coverage on key transport routes."

The regulator plans to to investigate why there are persistent areas of poor or no mobile reception - so-called "not-spots", and to work with public bodies to find a way of solving these problems.

The watchdog has pledged further protection for mobile consumers, but does not plan to undertake a wider formal market review of the mobile sector.

Apart from monitoring competition between mobile networks to ensure consumers are protected, Ofcom said it would, "continue to take swift and firm action against companies mis-selling to consumers," and "further investigate ways to tackle barriers to access and enable use of mobile services by people with disabilities."

In what the watchdog terms as the "second phase of its mobile sector assessment", Ofcom has also given access to maps of 3G coverage by the five UK mobile operators. But the maps are theoretically predicted, at low resolution and give no indication of quality of service.

The maps also give no indication of how Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing between mobile operators would affect 3G coverage. For example Three UK and T-Mobile are moving to a shared RAN infrastructure managed by a 50:50 joint venture company - Mobile Broadband Network Limited.

Vodafone and Orange announced a RAN sharing agreement in 2007, but subsequently scaled back the scope of the deal, preferring just to share mast sites rather than radio infrastructure.

Recent speculation regarding the fate of mobile operator T-Mobile UK has focused attention on competition in the mobile sector, with some industry experts saying its acquisition would reduce competition significantly. If one of the mobile operators seeks to takeover T-Mobile, such an acquisition would have to be rubber-stamped by Ofcom.