UK warns mobile operators not to derail spectrum auction

The UK government has warned mobile operators not to embark on legal action that would delay an auction of airwaves suitable for supporting fast web surfing on smartphones.

The culture department responded to a thinly-veiled threat of legal action by O2 over the proposed auction rules by saying it was important the radio spectrum was released “as soon as possible”. Google and Skype have also waded into the heated debate over the auction rules by urging regulators to ensure that mobile operators do not stop their customers using services that threaten the telecoms companies’ revenues. Britain has missed the opportunity to be an early adopter of mobile networks based on fourth generation wireless technology that enables fast web browsing on smartphones. Consumers in the US and Japan are already enjoying the benefits. The spectrum available in the auction planned for early next year is suitable for 4G networks, but the infrastructure is unlikely to built until 2013 or 2014 at the earliest.