§ 85. Mr. KeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the need for further research in the field of mobile phone technology.
§ Mr. ButcherThe dynamic growth of the United Kingdom cellular radio market demonstrates the demand for mobile telephony. Despite the advent of digital cellular technology in 1991, new technologies and means of exploiting new radio frequencies will be needed to meet the growth of demand well into the 1990s.
Relevant research of limited scope is provided for under the EC RACE programme, but the main RACE priority is integrated broadband networks. The LINK programme of research in personal communications which we recently announced is therefore designed to supplement the RACE activity. Our ambition is nothing less than offering the consumer a real choice of local telephone connection much sooner as a result of intensifying collaborative research. I hope our European partners will put increased resources into mobile radio R and D in due course.