WGPlus (Archive)
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Money from fines given to mobile operators for poor customer service or coverage should be handed over to local areas to boost connectivity, council leaders say. The telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, has levied fines of £ms on mobile operators over the past 3 years for breaches of its rules such as incorrectly billing customers and the poor handling of complaints. The Government’s new Digital Economy Act, which is currently coming into force, will also give Ofcom new powers to fine operators up to 10% of their gross revenue if they breach licencing obligations to improve mobile coverage. Currently, cash from fines levied on mobile operators goes straight to the Treasury - with no guarantee it will be spent on improving the country’s digital connectivity. The Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 councils in England & Wales, is calling for this money to be handed over to local areas to support efforts to help residents & businesses access increasingly vital digital infrastructure. |
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LGA: Hand over mobile operators' fines for councils to spend on boosting digital connectivity LGA responds to Which? report about broadband speeds across the UK Wales Office Minister leads summit to tackle mobile phone 'not spots' techUK welcomes Interim Report: UK Strategy and Plan for 5G & Digitisation Citizens Advice calls for strong protections for people hit by mobile ‘not spots’ Ofcom launches crowdsourced project for better mobile phone services Plans to make digital communications work for everyone Get the local low-down on mobile and broadband …just put in a postcode |
