Labour aims for full 5G coverage by 2030
- Labour claims 5G investment has suffered under Conservative leadership
- The party will aim for national 5G coverage and full gigabit internet by 2030
- Previous independent reports have shown the UK to have among the slowest 5G speeds and worst coverage within Europe
- Labour previously stated it wanted to give more power to Ofcom to protect consumers from mid-contract price increases and early termination fees
In its latest party manifesto for 2024, Labour says it will aim to provide national 5G coverage and full gigabit internet by 2030, if elected in the upcoming general election.
The party claims that investment in 5G has fallen behind other countries under the Conservative leadership.
While it’s difficult to blame the Conservative party entirely from an impartial point of view, it is true that the UK has fallen behind other countries when it comes to 5G speeds and coverage, particularly within Europe.
Manifesto extract: "In an ever more connected world, Britain’s communication network is also vital. Under the Conservatives, investment in 5G is falling behind other countries and the rollout of gigabit broadband has been slow. Labour will make a renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030."
Earlier this year, a report from Opensignal revealed that the UK is ranked 22nd out of 25 European countries for 5G coverage, as well as 22nd for 5G speeds.
In October 2022, Labour said it wanted to give more power to Ofcom to protect consumers from mid-contract price increases and early termination fees. However, the newly released manifesto does not mention these particular policies.
Ofcom recently proposed that telecom providers should no longer subject customers to unpredictable inflation based price increases. However, the regulator will still allow mid-contract price increases, but the increase must be fixed and defined in pounds and pence when a customer signs a contract.