Mobile Phones
Culture Media and Sport
John Glen (Salisbury, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport
(1) what assessment he has made of the effect of Ofcom's decision to permit Everything Everywhere to offer 4G service in advance of other mobile network operators on (a) competition and (b) prices for the consumer in the mobile network market;
(2) what assessment he has made of whether (a) the sale of 1800 MHz spectrum by Everything Everywhere and (b) any amendment to Everything Everywhere's spectrum licence will have implications for the conduct of the 4G spectrum auction.
Edward Vaizey (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Culture, Communications and Creative Industries), Business, Innovation and Skills; Wantage, Conservative)
I have made no assessment of these issues.
Ofcom, the independent spectrum regulator, has undertaken a consultation on whether to permit a variance to Everything Everywhere's license at 1800 MHz to allow 4G services, but has yet to announce its final decision on this matter.