Senior telecoms executives are warning that the UK could become a laggard in the global race to exploit artificial intelligence unless planning rules are reformed and 5G upgrades speed up, as networks brace for a surge in AI-related traffic.
The warning comes from figures including Andrea Donà, networks director at VodafoneThree, the UK’s largest mobile operator, who says current mobile networks are already struggling and are unprepared for what mass AI adoption will demand of them.
Who is raising the alarm
Much of the public debate about AI infrastructure has so far focused on datacentres and the water and energy supplies needed to cool them and power the computing behind AI models. But Donà and other industry figures argue that broadband and mobile networks — which will have to carry the traffic generated by consumers and businesses using AI — are being overlooked.
Donà did not mince words about the state of UK mobile networks today. “I would go further. I am embarrassed today at the level of quality of our network[s],” he said. “The UK is worthy of what EE, O2 and VodafoneThree can offer, but we need reform.”
A second, unnamed senior telecoms executive told the source that while AI’s impact on connectivity is currently “nascent”, it is set to become a “national competitiveness issue” in the same way the slow rollout of full-fibre broadband once did. “Things are going to change massively with the next wave of devices, in two or three years when AI is integrated into everything,” the executive said. “AI companies, and governments, don’t think about networks, but they will when they hold them back.”
How the UK compares with rivals
The UK has largely fixed its reputation for slow fixed-line broadband, with BT’s Openreach and other providers extending full-fibre connections across the country. Mobile coverage is a different story.
According to a recent report by consumer group Which?, based on data from Opensignal, UK mobile coverage lags behind all 27 EU member states and every other G7 country. The same analysis ranks the UK 57th globally for overall network performance, 70th for download speeds, and 55th for the kind of reliable connection quality needed for video calls, streaming and gaming.
What AI traffic will demand
Donà argues that today’s network strain — the kind experienced when tens of thousands of people try to get a signal at a major event — offers a preview of what routine AI use could bring. He pointed to the crowds at Wembley, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and rugby internationals at Twickenham as examples of the temporary capacity crunches consumers already notice.
“What we see now only with a mass aggregation of people is a proxy, an indication of the things that will come,” Donà said. “That [one-off] experience will be constant because of the additional capacity [consumers] will need in an AI world.”
Planning delays cited as the bottleneck
The UK’s main mobile operators are investing in 5G standalone technology, a more advanced version of 5G that separates itself from older network infrastructure to offer greater speed and capacity. VodafoneThree alone has committed £11bn to upgrading its masts.
Donà said the obstacle is not a shortage of physical sites — in fact, VodafoneThree is reducing its nationwide network of masts by 30% — but restrictive planning rules that slow down upgrades to existing infrastructure. He said around 96% of the upgrades the company needs to make are on sites it already operates, yet more than half of those upgrades still require some form of planning permission, a process the industry describes as lengthy and bureaucratic.
Donà linked the issue directly to the growth agenda associated with Andy Burnham, framing planning reform as a low-cost lever for government. “Planning reform is the lowest possible cost growth policy — it doesn’t require any government money,” he said. “It could be a great first 100 days-win for the new prime minister.”
A call for equal treatment
Mobile operators also point out an inconsistency in how infrastructure is treated. Telecoms networks are officially classified as critical national infrastructure, alongside datacentres and energy and water systems. Yet, according to the operators, they do not receive the same reliefs the government has extended to those other sectors, including breaks on business rates and energy costs.