§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy on the level of national coverage by mobile phone telecommunications operators which will be sufficient for competition purposes; and what plans he has for further licences being granted beyond those currently planned. [110817]
§ Ms HewittThere is no such policy. A geographic coverage obligation will be included in the Wireless Telegraphy Act licences, due to be auctioned next month, for the use of spectrum for third-generation mobile. The obligation will require the licence holder to roll out a network covering an area in which 80 per cent. of the UK population lives by the end of 2007. It is included to ensure that spectrum is used efficiently.
With the award of the five licences to be auctioned next month, there is no further spectrum currently available for the licensing of additional third-generation mobile operators.
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§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the changes required to existing telecommunications networks in order to meet the standards of the next generation of licences; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of extra masts required. [110765]
§ Ms HewittExisting mobile telecommunications networks will be unable to deliver the broad range of third-generation mobile services. As a result of the introduction of the five new third-generation mobile networks, for which spectrum will be auctioned next month, the existing second-generation networks of Vodafone and BT Cellnet may need to be changed in respect of a requirement to permit roaming from a new entrant third-generation mobile operator's network onto their existing second generation mobile networks. While the third-generation networks will require new infrastructure, including masts, it is not clear that any new masts will be required for the existing first and second-generation networks as a consequence of third-generation mobile standards.
§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the number of telecommunication masts that will be required by new operators who win one of the new generation of telecommunication licences; and whether a commitment to sharing masts with other operators will be(a) a condition of the licence and (b) one of the criteria in the granting of licences. [110816]
§ Ms HewittNo estimate has been made of the number of masts that a new operator might require. As a condition of being granted telecommunication Code Powers, the Telecommunications Act licences of existing operators and of any new operator include a requirement that, before erecting a new mast, the possibility is investigated of: using an existing structure or mast; replacing an existing mast with a mast for joint use; and erecting, in co-operation with another operator, a mast for joint use. This requirement obviates the need to include a specific criterion in the auction rules requiring a commitment to share masts. I am pleased to note also that the existing mobile operators are party to a database designed to support the sharing of masts. All who operate telecommunications masts or towers, including any new operator, are encouraged to include details of their sites on the database.