Mobile bosses to discuss network with business secretary

The bosses of the UK's five mobile phone networks are meeting with business secretary Peter Mandelson today (September 1st) to discuss the government's universal connectivity plans.

Every home in the UK is due to receive a broadband connection of at least two megabits per second (Mbps) by 2012 as part of the scheme, but the government may need to use the 900MHz radio spectrum currently occupied by O2 and Vodafone if that goal is to be achieved, reports the Guardian.

This way, wireless networking could be used to deliver broadband services in rural areas where the installation of fibre optic cabling is less practical and local communities could have better use of applications such as VoIP solutions.

In exchange for relinquishing the 900MHz spectrum, the companies could find they have indefinite extensions to their 3G licences.

Satellite technology is also being considered as a potential way of delivering universal connectivity throughout rural regions of the UK and relevant systems could become cheaper as their use spreads throughout Europe.