Business
The rich country with the worst mobile-phone service
5G networks are fast. Their roll-out is not
(The Economist)
BRITAIN HAS long been a pioneer in telecoms. In 1837 it built the world’s first commercial telegraph; the first transatlantic call was placed from London in 1927; in 1992 a British programmer sent the first text message to a mobile phone.
Today it lags rather than leads. According to figures provided to The Economist by Opensignal, a research firm, Britain ranks 46th for download speeds out of the 56 developed and developing countries for which there are data (see chart).
That gives it the worst mobile service in the rich world. Some of this is due to demand. Over the past three years data usage on mobile devices has doubled as people stream films and play games.
The busiest parts of cities often lack mobile reception because the system is at capacity. But mainly it is an issue of supply.
British users of 5G—the fifth generation of networks, which offers speeds up to ten times faster than 4G—are only on it 11% of the time. That puts Britain 43rd out of the 56 countries.
This lacklustre performance is caused by a combination of government U-turns, insufficient investment and sclerotic planning.
First, the U-turns. Until 2020 Britain’s four mobile operators were enthusiastic buyers of 5G equipment manufactured by Huawei, a Chinese firm.
But after intense lobbying from America, Britain’s politicians reversed course: telecoms operators must now remove all their 5G Huawei equipment by 2027.
This has delayed 5G’s roll-out. The country’s four mobile providers—BT/EE, O2, Three and Vodafone—have spent about £2bn ($2.6bn) over the past four years ripping out and replacing Huawei equipment. Second, the need for more investment.
About 90% of Britain’s 5G signals are broadcast from bolt-ons to the existing 4G network.
This “non-stand-alone” version of 5G does not allow “network slicing”, a way to get greater capacity in congested areas, or the quick response times needed to communicate with new technologies such as self-driving cars.
A new “core network” using stand-alone technology must be installed to get the full benefits of 5G. But, according to Frontier Economics, a consultancy, the four mobile operators are likely to invest only about £9bn of the £22bn-32bn required.
A marriage might help. Vodafone and Three, the country’s third- and fourth-largest mobile operators, say they are too small to justify the high capital expenditure of stand-alone 5G, and that they would invest £11bn over a decade if they could merge.
Karen Egan of Enders Analysis, a consultancy, estimates that synergies would result in a 30% increase in network capacity.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a watchdog, is due to decide on the merger on December 7th; it has suggested that 5G investment would be a legally binding condition for a deal. Even if the CMA allows the merger, improving 5G network capacity means erecting more masts.
In 2022 the rules were loosened to permit masts less than 30 metres high to be built without having to seek planning permission. But operators still complain.
Shorter masts cover a smaller area, so more must be built. O2 says it takes at least six months to get a decision on a mast over 30 metres high; applications are often stymied by local opposition.
Overcoming these obstacles is vital for achieving the goal of universal 5G by 2030.
It will also be needed for the eventual roll-out of 6G. In laboratory environments the next generation of mobile networks has reportedly notched up speeds 100 times faster than 5G. Britain is anything but that.■
South African mobile operator MTN Group said Monday it was under US investigation over its activities in Iran and Afghanistan, at a time of icy ties between Washington and Pretoria.
Africa’s biggest telecoms company is already facing court challenges in South Africa by Turkey’s Turkcell, which accuses it of winning the Iranian market through corruption.
In 2006, MTN was chosen over Turkcell to become the 49 percent minority shareholder in Iranian government-controlled mobile phone carrier Irancell.
MTN had been made aware of a US Department of Justice (DoJ) grand jury investigation relating to its former subsidiary in Afghanistan and Irancell, the company said in a statement.
“MTN is cooperating with the DoJ and voluntarily responding to requests for information,” said the statement accompanying the group’s financial results.
Grand juries typically decide whether or not to formally lay charges in a case and take it to trial.
The South African multinational is also facing a court case in the United States from US veterans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as relatives of soldiers killed in action, the statement said.
“The plaintiffs’ complaints allege that MTN supported anti-American militias in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Business
UBA Secures N5bn BoI MSME fund for disbursement to key sectors
The facility provides a maximum loan amount of N5 million per obligor, with a three-month moratorium on principal repayments, ensuring businesses have ample time to stabilise before they begin to service the loans.
•GMD/CEO UBA), Oliver Alawuba.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has secured a N5 billion loan facility from the Bank of Industry (BOI), to boost key sectors of the economy and support the growth of sustainable and viable businesses in the country, especially the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) owned by women.
The facility disbursed through the Federal Government’s MSME Fund, is designed to stimulate key sectors of the economy, while offering affordable financing to support businesses, with a primary focus on Green Energy, Education, Healthcare, and Women-Owned Enterprises.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, who spoke about the facility emphasised the bank’s commitment to fostering economic growth by empowering MSMEs, which he described as the “livewire of any developing economy.
He said, “At UBA, we recognize the pivotal role MSMEs play in driving economic development, and how they make up a sizeable portion of what drives our economic growth.
It is in this vein that we have decided not to rest on our oars by facilitating initiatives dedicated to empowering businesses with the financial support they need to thrive.”
Alawuba maintained that, “by offering loans at a competitive 9% interest rate with a three-year tenor, we are removing the traditional barriers that hinder SME growth in Nigeria and Africa. And by this, our message to business owners is simple: Don’t let this once-in-a lifetime-opportunity elude you.
”The facility provides a maximum loan amount of N5 million per obligor, with a three-month moratorium on principal repayments, ensuring businesses have ample time to stabilise before they begin to service the loans.
Business
CPPE Proposes Policy Action to Reduce Food Prices
Dr Muda Yusuf, the Director/CEO of CPPE, noted that while progress has been made in moderating headline and core inflation, the persistence of food and month-on-month price increases highlights unresolved structural weaknesses.
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) says that a coordinated mix of monetary, fiscal, and structural interventions will be required by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Finance to consolidate recent drops in inflation and steer the economy toward sustained stability.
CPPE suggested in reaction to the July 2025 inflation reported by the NBS
The headline inflation declined for the fourth consecutive month, easing from 22.22% in June to 21.88% in July, a deceleration of 0.34%Month-on-month food inflation also moderated, falling from 3.25% in June to 3.12% in July, while core inflation posted marginal declines year-on-year (-0.03%) and a sharp slowdown month-on-month, from 3.46% to 0.97%.
Dr Muda Yusuf, the Director/CEO of CPPE, noted that while progress has been made in moderating headline and core inflation, the persistence of food and month-on-month price increases highlights unresolved structural weaknesses.
“The July 2025 inflation figures present a mixed outlook for the Nigerian economy, with notable improvements in key indicators but lingering risks that demand policy attention,” he said.
These developments reflect a gradually stabilising macroeconomic environment, supported by exchange rate stability, improved investor confidence, and the lingering impact of import duty waivers on key staples such as rice, maize, and sorghum.
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