Mobile broadband 'a dream for many'

Many people still see mobile broadband as a dream, rather than an impending reality, it is claimed.

The Communications Consumer Panel has warned that, while the desire for mobile broadband may be strong among some groups in the public, the reality is further away in some cases.

Bob Warner, Communications Consumer Panel acting chair, says: "To achieve a mobile broadband connection, people need to have mobile coverage.

"But too many people still have poor or non-existent mobile coverage for voice calls and text."

His comments follow the publication of a report from industry watchdog Ofcom on the proportion of Britons who now make use of mobile broadband.

Some 17 per cent of UK households - more than one in six - have at least some access to mobile broadband, with it serving as the only means of getting online for seven per cent of people, up from three per cent in 2009.