UK mobile networks are not prepared for the surge in AI-driven data traffic, according to a senior executive at one of the country’s largest operators. Andrea Donà, networks director at VodafoneThree, said the current state of the UK’s mobile infrastructure is a source of embarrassment and warned that the arrival of AI-powered applications will expose long-standing weaknesses in network quality.
“I am embarrassed today at the level of quality of our network,” Donà told a national newspaper. He described the impact of AI traffic as analogous to the signal loss experienced at a packed stadium, but made permanent. As AI applications increasingly run on smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and industrial systems, the volume and pattern of data traffic will shift dramatically. Networks designed for human browsing and video streaming may struggle to cope with constant, machine-driven data flows that require low latency and high reliability.
The starting position is poor. Independent analysis of mobile network performance, compiled for a major consumer group, ranks UK coverage worse than every EU member state and every other G7 country. The same analysis places the UK 57th globally for network performance. Such rankings reflect gaps in both rural and urban coverage, with many areas experiencing weak signals and dropped connections. For a leading economy, these results are striking and have implications beyond consumer convenience, affecting remote work, telemedicine, logistics, and the future deployment of AI services.
Money, according to Donà, is not the obstacle. VodafoneThree has committed £11 billion to upgrading masts, an investment that signals a serious intent to modernise infrastructure. At the same time, the company is reducing its mast count by 30%, a consolidation that aims to improve efficiency and streamline operations. This strategy, however, depends on upgrading existing structures rather than building new ones. About 96% of the planned upgrades are on existing masts, which means the work should be relatively straightforward. Yet more than half of these upgrades still require planning permission, a bureaucratic hurdle that delays progress and adds uncertainty.
The planning bottleneck
Donà’s key demand is procedural rather than financial. “Planning reform is the lowest possible cost growth policy; it doesn’t require any government money,” he argued. The logic is simple: the investment already exists, and the technology is ready, but the regulatory environment prevents timely implementation. In the UK, mobile mast upgrades often require planning permission because they involve changes to physical structures, even when the changes are minor in scale. Local authorities may take months—or longer—to make decisions, and appeals can further stretch timelines. This is particularly problematic given the fast pace of technological change and the rapid adoption of AI tools that depend on robust connectivity.
The contrast with the European Union is stark. In 2024, the EU adopted the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, a regulation designed to accelerate the deployment of high-capacity networks. Under this legislation, national authorities have four months to decide a permit application for a very high capacity network. If the deadline is missed, the permit is deemed granted. This “silence is consent” provision removes the ability of authorities to delay projects indefinitely through inaction. The act has been in force since November 2024, and it is already reshaping how telecom operators approach network upgrades in member states.
Member states may opt out of the automatic approval mechanism, but they must then offer compensation or a right to sue to the applicant. This safeguard ensures that applicants are not left without recourse if authorities fail to meet deadlines. The UK, having left the EU, is not bound by this legislation. It remains free to set its own planning rules, but so far it has not introduced a similar deemed-granted measure. The result is that British operators face slower, less predictable permitting processes compared to their European counterparts.
EU pushes further with Digital Networks Act
Brussels is not stopping at the Gigabit Infrastructure Act. The proposed Digital Networks Act goes further, suggesting indefinite spectrum licences, “use it or share it” rules, and simpler deployment procedures. In exchange for these freedoms, operators would take on tougher coverage duties, ensuring that improved infrastructure benefits all citizens, not just those in profitable urban areas. Such a framework aims to balance industry flexibility with public accountability, and it demonstrates a coherent regulatory approach to network development.
The UK operators have long argued that mobile networks are critical national infrastructure, yet they do not receive the same reliefs on business rates and energy costs that data centres enjoy. Data centres, which host servers for cloud computing and AI models, are often treated favourably in terms of taxation and energy pricing, reflecting their importance to the digital economy. Mobile networks, which deliver the actual connectivity to end users, are arguably just as essential, but they are subject to standard property and energy costs. This inconsistency, operators say, discourages investment in the very infrastructure that makes AI services accessible to the public.
The gap between the UK and the EU is also being attacked from a different direction. A Spanish startup has raised €150 million to beam 5G signals to ordinary phones from orbit. This satellite-based approach bypasses local consent entirely, as coverage is delivered from space rather than through ground-based masts. While satellite 5G is still in its early stages and may not match the capacity of terrestrial networks, it represents a novel solution to planning obstacles. It also highlights a potential future in which countries with restrictive ground-based regulations could see coverage leapfrogged by orbital infrastructure.
A matter of priorities
The situation illustrates a broader problem. The UK protects the buildings where AI models are developed and run—data centres receive various incentives—but it does not sufficiently protect or streamline the network that has to reach those models and deliver their outputs to users. This imbalance threatens the country’s ambition to be a leader in AI innovation. Without a robust mobile network, AI applications will be less useful, less reliable, and less accessible to businesses and consumers alike.
Donà’s call for planning reform is not merely a corporate plea; it is a warning that the UK’s digital infrastructure is falling behind. The investment is in place, the technology is ready, and the benefits are clear. What is missing is a regulatory framework that treats high-capacity networks as essential infrastructure and permits upgrades without unnecessary delay. The EU has already charted a path with the Gigabit Infrastructure Act and the proposed Digital Networks Act, offering mechanisms that the UK could adapt to its own context. Whether the UK government will heed these lessons remains an open question, but the urgency is growing as AI traffic begins to flow.
As AI becomes embedded in daily life—from voice assistants and autonomous vehicles to real-time translation and predictive healthcare—the demand for seamless connectivity will only intensify. Mobile networks are the backbone of this transformation. If they are not ready, the consequences will be felt not just in dropped calls or slower downloads, but in missed economic opportunities and diminished technological competitiveness. The clock is ticking, and the time for planning reform is now.