Westminster eForum

Morning, Friday, 26^th February 2027

Online

This conference will examine next steps for the UK mobile market, including priorities for investment, competition and improving the connectivity available to businesses, consumers and communities. Areas for discussion include the costs and commercial prospects for network development, the implications of market consolidation and changing business models, priorities for improving reliability and service quality beyond headline coverage, affordability and consumer choice, and the development of advanced mobile services, alongside network security and resilience.

It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider next steps following the Government's Mobile Market Review, including what may be needed from industry, government and regulation to support continued investment in mobile networks, and where that investment should be directed. Discussion will examine the prospects for meeting future network requirements under existing market and regulatory arrangements, the changes being sought by different parts of the sector, and their implications for competition, innovation and the services available to customers.

Delegates will also consider implications of the VodafoneThree merger for network investment, wholesale access and competition, including the position of smaller providers and the choices available to consumers. Sessions will examine the debate over net neutrality, including the scope for operators to offer specialised connectivity with guaranteed performance for particular business and public-service applications, and the potential benefits and risks for investment, competition, content and application providers, and internet users. The conference will also discuss priorities for affordability and consumer protection, including what further action may be needed to deliver on commitments under the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

Following the January 2027 deadline for the Shared Rural Network's final coverage obligations, the agenda will consider what further action is needed to improve connectivity in rural and hard-to-serve areas, and the future of provision beyond the programme. With Ofcom developing proposals for measuring reliable service against users' real-world experience, delegates will discuss priorities for addressing poor reception, insufficient capacity and inconsistent performance, including in buildings, on transport networks and in busy locations. Questions include where further network investment is commercially viable, how remaining gaps might be addressed, and the responsibilities of operators, infrastructure providers and public authorities.

Attendees will also consider approaches to overcoming barriers to network deployment, including planning, site access, agreements with landowners and the retention of existing infrastructure. The scope for infrastructure sharing and alternative provision will be examined, including satellite direct-to-device services, and how information on coverage and performance can be developed to better reflect the connectivity experienced by customers.

Further sessions will assess the prospects for wider adoption of standalone 5G, including demand from businesses and public services, barriers to investment and uptake, and the evidence for commercial and productivity benefits. The conference will also examine priorities for strengthening network security and resilience, including preparations for the end-2027 deadline for removing high-risk vendor equipment, the practical and financial implications of improving resilience to power failures, and the needs of those relying on mobile services during disruption. Longer-term questions concerning spectrum requirements and future technologies, including 6G, will also be considered.

Market review, competition & net neutrality
The conference will examine how the policy and regulatory framework might respond to changes in the economics and structure of the mobile market, including the relationship between network investment, competition and consumer outcomes. Delegates will consider what evidence might justify changes, where existing arrangements may already provide sufficient support, and the implications of any changes for operators, investors, service providers and users. Discussion will also consider whether net neutrality rules should allow greater flexibility for differentiated services, including the potential benefits for business and public-service users and the implications for competition, smaller providers and access to the open internet.

Areas for discussion include:

• regulatory direction: evidence from the Mobile Market Review and next steps - Ofcom’s approach under the Statement of Strategic Priorities - regulatory certainty - case for targeted changes
• investment conditions: deployment and upgrade costs - spectrum fees, security requirements and access to capital - returns on investment and future spending - viability of extra coverage
• market consolidation: VodafoneThree’s network commitments and its first annual progress report - implications of a three-operator market for investment, competition and consumer outcomes
• wholesale access:
  
  • commercial terms for MVNOs and smaller providers - effectiveness of merger-related protections and arrangements following their expiry
  • implications for retail competition and consumer choice
• net neutrality framework: Ofcom’s guidance and its application, including the July 2026 clarification on public interest exceptions - scope for legislative change following the Review
• specialised services: network slicing and traffic management - where specialised services may offer advantages over general internet access - effects of current rules on investment and innovation
• commercial models: revenue from advanced network capabilities - relationships with content and application providers - implications for smaller businesses and consumer choice - risk of discriminatory access

Coverage, reliability & infrastructure delivery
Practical requirements for improving mobile connectivity across the UK will be considered, including how performance should be measured, where further investment is needed and the barriers to extending or upgrading infrastructure.

Areas for discussion include:

• measuring performance: Ofcom’s proposed benchmark for reliable service - availability, speeds, latency and congestion - gaps between geographic coverage and users’ experience
• Shared Rural Network:
  
  • delivery against January 2027 obligations - remaining total not-spot and Extended Area Service sites -  October 2026 progress update reporting 169 government-funded mast upgrades are now live
  • priorities beyond the programme, including the scope for further public intervention and alternative approaches where investment is hard to justify
• transport & connectivity in busy locations:
  
  • connectivity on rail and road networks - trackside and on-board solutions - capacity in transport hubs, shopping centres and venues
  • responsibility for persistent problems
• indoor connectivity: barriers to reliable coverage within buildings - densification, small cells and neutral-host models - coordination with landlords, developers and estate managers
• planning & site access: planning and local authority engagement across the UK - the Electronic Communications Code and site rent renewals - retention of existing sites and infrastructure sharing
• complementary connectivity: satellite direct-to-device services following first commercial launch - uses in remote areas - technical and commercial limits - integration with terrestrial networks

Consumer outcomes & informed choice
Sessions will examine priorities for affordability, service quality and informed choice in the mobile market, including the implications of changing pricing and commercial arrangements for customers. Delegates will assess where existing protections and voluntary industry commitments are proving effective, what further action may be needed, and how consumers can obtain reliable information and remedies when services fall short of expectations.

Areas for discussion include:

• Telecoms Consumer Charter:
  
  • delivery of voluntary commitments on pricing transparency, contract information and support for customers in financial difficulty
  • assessing what these add to existing Ofcom requirements and whether further protections are needed
• price changes:
  
  • Ofcom's pounds-and-pence rules for new contracts and the Charter commitments affecting existing inflation-linked contracts
  • potential remaining gaps in protection and whether further measures are needed
• affordability: social tariffs and take-up - support for vulnerable consumers - treatment of customers on different and legacy tariffs - implications of pricing for network investment
• information & switching provider: transparency over pricing, contract terms and service quality - switching arrangements - remedies where service falls short of what was advertised
• comparing performance: Map Your Mobile and other comparison tools - accuracy of coverage and performance information - distinguishing reported coverage from service experience
• market developments: implications of consolidation, changing retail competition and emerging services such as satellite add-ons for pricing, choice and customer experience
• consumer representation: how consumer interests are reflected in policy and regulatory decisions - the case for a more formal consumer advocacy mechanism

Advanced networks, security & resilience
Sessions will consider the commercial prospects for advanced mobile networks, including demand for standalone 5G, barriers to adoption and the evidence for benefits to businesses and public services. Discussion will also address priorities for network security and resilience, including the costs and practical requirements of responding to cyber threats, maintaining essential connectivity and preparing for significant disruption.

Areas for discussion include:

• standalone 5G adoption: requirements of business and public sector users - role of private networks and public sector demand - barriers to adoption
• applications & benefits: uses in manufacturing, transport, logistics and public services - evidence of productivity and service delivery benefits
• spectrum & future networks:
  
  • capacity requirements and the 1.4 GHz auction - Ofcom’s publication of final auction documents, with applications expected to open in mid-January 2027
  • longer-term priorities for 6G research, standards and future network development
• telecoms security framework:
  
  • implementation of Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 requirements
  • high-risk vendor equipment removal ahead of the end-2027 deadline - compliance and oversight
• cyber risks: evolving threats and supply chain dependencies - software-based networks and third party providers - interaction with wider cyber security reform
• operational readiness: detecting and responding to incidents - preparedness for significant disruption - recovery and coordination between operators, regulators and public authorities
• power & network resilience:
  
  • backup power at mast sites following Ofcom’s revised resilience guidance
  • reliance on mobile for emergency access as landlines move to digital - learning from major outages

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade; Department of Health and Social Care; Department for the Economy, NI; Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Ministry of Defence; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Ofcom; UK Space Agency; Home Office; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.