Less than one in five MPs believe UK's mobile comms regime "works well for customers"

Only 18 per cent of the UK’s MPs believe that the country’s current mobile communications system work well for customers, according to an online survey commissioned by the Federation of Communication Services (FCS) and conducted by Dods Research in February. The figure is higher for Conservative MPs, 26 per cent, but falls to 16 per cent amongst Labour MPs.

The survey of 80 MPs, with the results weighed to accurately reflect current party composition in the House of Commons, found that 61 per cent of MPs believe that consumers would benefit from increased wholesale competition and if there were more than four competing networks.

Support for wholesale competition is even greater amongst Conservative MPs with 65 per cent support. They are also more likely to support increased retail competition, 55 per cent compared with 39 per cent across all MPs.

50 per cent of MPs support the idea that the radio spectrum is ‘a hugely valuable national asset’, while 26 per cent of MPs support the idea that mobile should follow the same regulatory model as fixed-line (ie: ownership of the mast sites and network infrastructure should be separate from the branded resale operations). The latter figure is slightly higher for Conservative MPs, 29 per cent, but considerably lower amongst Labour MPs, just 16 per cent. Only two per cent of MPs believe that fixed line should follow the same regulatory model as mobile (ie: ownership of the network infrastructure and exchanges should be combined with the branded resale operations).