THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION MOBILE TELEPHONY

Early day motion 1857, tabled 6 November 2002 by Derek Wyatt (Labour). Signed by 2 members.

That this House notes that telecommunication and mobile companies are in global retreat because there is an intractable problem in the wireless industry, which has some potentially disastrous implications for both the public and private sectors; further notes that carriers have paid uneconomic sums for 3G licences and are staggering under the debt burden which has been compounded by the unexpectedly expensive rollout costs and the development of wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, which has already leapfrogged 3G's capability in many applications; and calls on the Government to roll 3G licences into 4G licences using the same bandwidth as this will enable carriers to offer a more attractive broadband platform, ensure it receives the unpaid 50 per cent. of the 3G licences, give the UK a global competitive edge and end the current 2G versus 3G stalemate.

Signatures by party: Conservative 1, Labour 1.