Analysys Mason: Government intervention needed to serve Europe's mobile 'not-spots'

Commercially viable mobile voice coverage has reached saturation point in most developed markets, where mobile network operators have rolled out infrastructure wherever there is a good business case, said Analysys Mason in a recent report. Coverage exceeds 99 per cent of the population in most European markets, but this still leaves many premises in mobile 'not-spots'. For example, the UK has about 80,000 premises without 2G voice coverage. The number of premises that lack mobile broadband (that is, 3G and 4G) coverage is far greater. Governments may need to intervene in the market to serve the significant number of premises in mobile not-spots. The Digital Agenda for Europe aims to provide universal access to 30 Mbps broadband services by 2020. This target complements the elimination of mobile not-spots, but governments will need to provide considerable subsidies through effective intervention strategies if truly ubiquitous coverage is to be achieved, commented Analysys Mason. Report