A proposal by the U.K. Office of Communications...

A proposal by the U.K. Office of Communications to quadruple annual license fees for 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum will jeopardize operators’ efforts to upgrade for 4G services, said GSM Association Chief Regulatory Officer Tom Phillips Thursday in a press release (http://xrl.us/bqhfxz). The association was responding to an Ofcom consultation that closed Jan. 16 (http://xrl.us/bqhfxi). GSMA research shows Europe lags significantly behind the U.S. in rolling out next-generation wireless infrastructure, he said. Raising the fees from £24.8 million (around $41 million) to more than £138 million for the 900 MHz band, and from around £40 million to £170 million for 1800 MHz, could slow buildout, potentially putting British businesses at an international disadvantage and denying consumers access to the latest mobile services, he said.