Ofcom has revised proposals for its fourth-generation mobile spectrum auction, adding measures that could bring coverage to 98% of the UK.
The regulator said the winning bidder will have to provide the high-speed coverage to current “not-spot” areas.
It said the measures would help bring fast mobile internet to parts of the country that are underserved.
The bidding process for the spectrum is still scheduled for the end of this year, Ofcom said.
A 10-week consultation period into the revisions will now begin ahead of Ofcom’s final decision on the precise details of the …

Virgin Media will double the speed of its broadband service for over four million of its customers, the company has said.
The upgrade, which begins in February, will also see the service’s top speed increase from 100Mbps to 120Mbps.
The full roll-out is expected to be complete by mid-2013 at a cost to the company of £110m.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said the investment would be a “great boost” to the UK.
“I welcome this announcement from Virgin Media,” Mr Cameron said in a statement.
“It will provide a great boost for the economy …

Mobile operator O2 is to provide free internet to “millions” of residents and visitors in central London by launching Europe’s largest free wi-fi zone.
The service will be rolled out across the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea in 2012.
It will be powered by a system installed on street furniture.
O2 said the deal, which will have no cost to the taxpayer, will enable visitors to “make the most of what London has to offer”.
Councillor Philippa Roe, cabinet member for strategic finance at Westminster City Council, said: “Westminster welcomes over a …

Superfast broadband will be available to more than half of the British population in 2012, BT has announced.

The company is currently unveiling the latest batch of telephone exchanges in its programme to upgrade Britain’s internet services. It said it would now be covering a further 1.8 million homes and taking its Infinity service to more rural areas.

The Government is aiming for Britain to have the best broadband network in Europe, and last week David Cameron and the Cabinet met Ian Livingston, the chief executive of BT, to discuss progress on …

The Countryside Alliance says plans to bring fast broadband to rural areas have stalled.
The government named four pilot areas last year, but local councils have admitted that they have not yet started work on their broadband projects.
Freedom of information requests were sent to councils in each area.
The responses revealed that none had received any money from the Treasury, chosen a company to build their networks, or started work on them.
In October last year George Osborne named Cumbria, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and the Highlands and Islands, as pilot areas for rural …