Brits could have mobile phone data rationed under emergency plans – full list of networks
Mobile phone network operators have given a stark warning as the war in Iran continues.
Mobile network operators are warning they could need to ration phone signal access to combat rocketing energy prices. Telecoms giants said they were drawing up emergency contingency plans after being excluded from Rachel Reeves’s energy support scheme as the war in Iran rages on.
The plans include rationing access to their networks, slowing down speeds or increasing pricing. Broadband could also be hit by the move while mobile phone services such as calls and internet data could be the worst affected. Operators hope to reduce energy use in order to combat the ongoing impact of the war in Iran.
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As reported by The Telegraph, mobile networks consume just under 1 terawatt-hour of electricity every year which is the equivalent of powering 370,000 homes a year. Bosses are now warning that increasing energy costs could impact plans to expand 5G networks.
Energy costs are continuing to surge with prices increasing by 70% in recent years. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the price of electricity to rise by 33% since the start of the war in Iran.
Telecoms companies are now calling on support from the government with growing frustration at Labour's decision to exclude them from a recent support package. Rachel Reeves confirmed plans to cut electricity bills for 10,000 manufacturers by up to 25% under the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS).
Some telecoms bosses are now reportedly planning to ration mobile signals their networkscase scenario, with BT and Virgin Media O2 insisting they have no current plans to ration access to its network. It comes as the UK already ranks bottom for 5G download speeds across G7.
A Virgin Media O2 spokesman said: “Mobile and broadband networks are critical national infrastructure that almost every consumer and business relies on, yet despite their importance, telecoms companies have been excluded from support offered to other energy-intensive sectors.
“If the Government wants growth, productivity and resilience, it cannot overlook the digital networks the country depends on.”
A spokesman for VodafoneThree said: “We are disappointed that the Government has chosen not to include the telecoms sector in the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
“At VodafoneThree we are committed to building the UK’s best network, creating jobs and fuelling billions of pounds of value to the UK economy. We urge the Government to consider the impact of rising energy prices on the vital telecoms sector that unlocks growth in all parts of the economy.”
A BT Group spokesperson said: "Rising energy prices could impact longer-term investment in the UK's mobile networks and we are working with the industry via Mobile UK to engage with Government on this issue. However, our focus is on our customers and we have no current plans to ration access to our award-winning EE network, reduce speeds or introduce surge pricing."
A Government spokesperson said: “UK communications providers must legally maintain network availability.
“Our clean power mission will get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices, to cut bills for businesses and households for good.”
