BT vetoes plan to fix UK mobile ‘not spots’

EFFORTS to tackle poor mobile coverage in rural Britain have been hampered after a row broke out between network providers.

Proposals discussed by EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three would have seen the companies share infrastructure to boost signals in the hardest-to-reach areas.

But EE parent company BT has vetoed the idea, arguing its rivals will benefit far more from the arrangement.

The Government had suggested it could force operators to work together if they do not come up with a voluntary solution to tackle so-called ‘not spots’.

Mobile firms have been in talks since October but have opposing views on how coverage should be improved. The proposal blocked by BT would have initially focused on areas where only some networks have coverage.

For example, in areas where BT owns masts it could have allowed other firms to bolt on their equipment, increasing the number of networks available to customers.

But BT objected to the plan earlier this month. It believes other operators should be made to invest in their own infrastructure rather than piggyback on its equipment. The firm instead wants plans to focus on areas where no network has coverage and wants carriers to jointly invest in building towers and masts.

If the operators cannot agree, they could be forced by regulator Ofcom to introduce so-called ‘rural roaming’ instead, which is a technically difficult arrangement where they would have to allow customers on rival networks to switch to their own network to get a signal.

Last night a Vodafone spokesman said BT’s decision was ‘extremely disappointing’.

A spokesman for BT said it had ‘invested heavily’ in its network.

A Three spokesman said the firm supported rural roaming if no other solution could be found.